Ningbo solar firm supports clean energy access across SCO regions

Ulica's solar panels are installed on rooftops in Peshawar, Pakistan. [Photo/Yongpai app]

A Ningbo-based solar executive is seeing steady flow business opportunities from across Eurasia as distributed renewable energy gains ground in markets with limited grid infrastructure. 

On April 23, Su Shenghua, deputy sales director at Ningbo Ulica Solar, finished a late-night meeting with a client from Belarus that ran two hours longer than planned, driven by a shared interest in emerging solar markets. The client, who works in the charging infrastructure sector, noted that solar adoption in Belarus remains largely confined to small, government-supported projects, with minimal presence in residential and commercial rooftops.

For Su, such conversations have become increasingly familiar across countries connected through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization network. He often recalls Pakistan, where Ulica Solar's long-term partner Afnan entered the sector through agricultural water pumps.

In rural Pakistan, where electricity access is limited or absent in many areas, solar-powered pumps replaced manual lifting and diesel generators, enabling farmers to irrigate land using groundwater powered directly by sunlight. What began as a government-led initiative gradually evolved into a broader commercial market, supported by local distribution channels built over more than a decade.

Su has also witnessed shifts in cities such as Lahore, where frequent blackouts were once routine. Rooftop solar installations have since become more common, while solar products are now sold through street-market-style retail channels, reflecting growing household demand.

Over time, Ulica Solar has moved from early polycrystalline modules to high-efficiency TOPCon products, while system costs have declined significantly and output efficiency has risen to more than 22 percent. Su says similar transitions are now beginning in Central Asia and other emerging markets, where energy demand and weak grid coverage continue to drive practical adoption of solar solutions.