Vietnam to have 2,000MW of rooftop solar power capacity in 2020

HANOI — The country’s total rooftop solar power capacity is expected to reach around 2,000 MW by the end of 2020, according to Vietnam Electricity (EVN).

EVN said more than 4,000 households have installed rooftop solar power systems over the past three months with a total capacity of 200MW. It estimated that an additional 300MW of rooftop solar power will be added by the end of 2019, helping to ensure the nation’s power security.

As traditional power sources run out, the development of renewable energy infrastructure including rooftop solar power is crucial to provide enough power to Vietnam’s growing population.

By the end of June 2019, Vietnam had 89 wind and solar power plants with a combined capacity of 5,038MW, accounting for 9.5 percent of the country’s total power capacity. It is expected that about 1,000MW of additional renewable energy will be connected to the national grid by the end of 2019, helping to ease power shortages.

Vo Quang Lam, EVN’s deputy general director, told the recent Vietnam Energy Forum 2019 that developing rooftop solar power helps reduce transmission costs and price pressure as well as increase energy use efficiency.

Vietnam currently applies a price of 9.35 US cents per kWh for rooftop solar power. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed maintaining the price until 2021 to encourage the development of solar power.

In addition to providing favorable conditions in terms of policies and mechanisms, technical solutions have been also implemented to connect solar power to the national grid.

Renewable energy experts said the country’s central and southern regions have big potential to develop for rooftop solar systems with solar radiation of 4.2 to 4.8kWh per sqm per day.

They added that with supportive policies, the goal of installing 100,000 rooftop solar systems by the end of 2025 would be reachable. /kga