North Korean authorities are urging state institutions, enterprises, and neighborhood watch units to install solar power systems to offset chronic electricity shortages, but the steep upfront cost means only well-funded organizations and wealthier households can actually afford to do so.
A source in North Pyongan province told Daily NK recently that institutions and enterprises in Yomju county have recently been holding lectures promoting solar power, using case studies from units that have already installed panels and energy storage systems as models to emulate. The message being pushed is that state electricity supply is unreliable and that organizations whose productivity depends on power should not wait for the grid but should instead generate their own.
The urgency of that message has been sharpened by recent experience. During the heat wave last summer, livestock operations in Yomju county suffered significant losses. Keeping barns cool enough to prevent animal deaths requires stable power to run cooling equipment, and the state grid has proven incapable of meeting that need consistently. The episode made the case for energy independence more concrete for local institutions.
The problem is price. A basic solar setup capable of running household appliances such as a refrigerator, television, washing machine, and electric fan costs upward of 20,000 Chinese yuan (approximately $2,750) once panels, high-capacity batteries, and a direct-to-alternating-current inverter are factored in. That sum is roughly equivalent to the price of a house in a small or mid-sized provincial city, and is beyond the reach of most organizations, let alone ordinary households.
Solar panels widen the gap between haves and have-nots
For enterprises that need to run production equipment, the required capacity is larger and the cost higher still. “Everyone accepts that solar power is the most realistic solution to the electricity problem,” the source said, “but the initial outlay is so large that people are stuck in doubt. There’s a lot of talk about ‘unlimited electricity,’ but the response to the upfront cost is disbelief.”
In practice, solar installations have taken hold mainly among enterprises with their own revenue streams, foreign currency earning units, and relatively affluent households. The state’s emphasis on self-reliance as a response to the power crisis is producing a tiered outcome on the ground, with those who already have financial resources pulling further ahead.
Despite the cost barrier, demand for solar equipment continues to grow. Once installed, a system provides a long-term independent power supply without further expenditure, which makes it attractive even to those who must save for years to afford it. The source noted that solar panels for basic lighting are now so common that having them is considered a baseline rather than a luxury. “Now people want to go further and secure enough capacity for all their everyday electricity needs,” the source said. “Whether a home has solar panels has become a marker of living standards.”
Enterprises share that calculus. “Companies see solar as the fastest way to solve their electricity problem,” the source added, “so demand for equipment will only grow from here.”
The neighborhood watch unit, known in Korean as the inminban, is the lowest-level administrative body in North Korea’s residential surveillance system. The state’s effort to push solar adoption down to that level underscores how far the grid has deteriorated.
Reporting from inside North Korea
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June 10, 2026 at 06:39PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)