Viewed from Tehran, the arithmetic of energy insecurity has redrawn industrial strategy. A major food-processing firm, facing repeated blackouts that disrupted production and export orders, has covered 44,000 square metres of factory roof with solar panels, building a 6.9-megawatt plant at a cost of 230 billion toman. The installation not only supplies power to the grid but also cuts cold-storage temperatures by 1.5°C, a dual yield that is pushing other manufacturers to treat idle rooftop space as a hedge against grid instability. Iran’s renewable energy agency now targets 10,000 megawatts of small-scale solar, including rooftop systems on 12,000 schools and floating arrays on dam reservoirs, while a 500-megawatt project fund prepares to open for public subscription.

This shift is not isolated. Across global mining, solar has become the fastest-growing on-site power source, with 41% of new mining projects incorporating photovoltaic capacity, according to industry analyses. In Europe, solar accounts for 87% of planned mine-power capacity, while in the Middle East and Africa it is displacing diesel at remote sites. The mechanism is straightforward: predictable, long-term electricity costs and the infrastructure to electrify vehicle fleets later. A Harvard study cited by the sector estimates that full electrification of open-pit mines could cut operational costs by 40–62% and greenhouse gas emissions by over 90%.

In Jakarta, the surplus is not sunlight but hydrogen. State utility PLN produces 200 tonnes of hydrogen annually for generator cooling, yet uses only 75 tonnes, leaving 125 tonnes idle. To absorb the excess, the government has mapped 93 hydrogen ecosystem projects worth Rp32 trillion, spanning transport, industry, and power. A pilot diesel-hydrogen dual-fuel bus was launched, and PLN is courting Japanese, Chinese, and German manufacturers to supply hydrogen buses for Transjakarta. Simultaneously, PLN signed a memorandum with a Singaporean firm to explore a cross-border green hydrogen supply chain, aiming to position Indonesia as a regional exporter.

In Nigeria, the federal government’s $750 million renewable energy programme has made Plateau State one of its largest beneficiaries, with 10 interconnected solar mini-grids planned. A 1.5-megawatt hybrid solar mini-grid broke ground in Pankshin, designed to power businesses, healthcare, and households while ending dependence on diesel generators. The state governor projects Plateau will become a net electricity exporter within two years, contingent on the completion of transmission upgrades with the national grid operator.

The next concrete milestone to watch is the imminent public offering of Iran’s 500-megawatt solar project fund, which will test retail investor appetite for clean-energy assets in a market where blackouts have made energy independence a boardroom priority.