Uzbekistan is installing free solar panels for low-income families
Under the $20 million Yorqin Xonadon program, 1,580 homes and 334 public institutions have received panels; another 1,197 families will be added by 2027.
Uzbekistan is installing free solar panels for low-income families and public-sector facilities. The social program, called Yorqin Xonadon (Bright Home), aims to cut electricity bills and help residents in remote, energy-poor areas.
What the program is
The $20 million program is run by the Ministry of Energy together with Saudi company ACWA Power and China Southern Power Grid International (CSGI). Participating households get a solar panel and a battery installed free of charge.
The numbers
So far, 1,580 homes and 334 public institutions have been equipped. In the program's final stage, another 1,197 low-income families will be added by May 2027. In total, more than 3,100 homes and institutions are planned to be covered.
How families benefit
The panels reduce households' electricity costs. In addition, consumers can be paid for surplus energy they generate and feed into the general grid, adding extra capacity to the power network.
Where it is targeted
A large share of the new installations is directed to the Republic of Karakalpakstan in the northwest, hit by the drying of the Aral Sea; Samarkand and Bukhara are also named as program regions. The effort is part of Uzbekistan's broader plan to significantly increase the share of renewable energy by 2030.
