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Today, residents of Beirut only receive two to three hours of state electricity per day. A few years ago, many would rely instead on private electricity generators. But with rising inflation, many were forced to reprioritize needs, laying aside their generator subscriptions.

Instead, solar panels now dot rooftops, parking lots, and balconies, allowing for a return to normalcy.

"The soaring demand for solar installations, according to Khoury, explains where the country could potentially be heading in terms of renewable and clean energy"

"Lebanese are increasingly turning to the sun to meet electricity needs, and solar power has become a must to secure a supply of sustainable electricity," Ramzi Salmen, an environmental engineer, told The New Arab.

"The positive environmental outcome is the production of clean, renewable, and emission-free power," Salmen emphasised.

According to the IMF, electricity accounts for almost half of Lebanon's USD 85 billion of public debt. The government has been subsidising Electricite du Liban, the national electric company, for years, accumulating to USD 35 billion.

Sustainable electricity experts say that the Lebanese government needs to build new power plants, shut down inefficient old ones, and utilise renewable energy to provide 24-hour electricity at lower costs, reducing public spending and debt and increasing productivity. This, in turn, would generate "green jobs" in the renewable energy sector and contribute to economic growth.

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