Excess rooftop solar power can be sold but not more than 10% of capacity: Deputy PM

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) to present a plan for organizations and households to sell excess rooftop solar power, but no more than 10% of total capacity.

In the latest version of a draft government decree on policies to encourage the development of self-use rooftop solar power submitted for approval in June, the MoIT said that power generated using this method should be consumed on site, and not sold to other organizations or individuals or connected to the national grid.

In case of grid connection, the capacity must not exceed 2,600 megawatts set in national power development plan for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050 (PDP VIII).

To encourage clean power sources, in an official dispatch issued on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha requested the MoIT research a pilot scheme that allows payment for excess rooftop solar power connected to the national grid with a volume not exceeding 10% of the total capacity.

The Ministry of Finance and the MoIT were assigned to jointly work on regulations on purchasing prices in the spirit of "harmonized benefits, shared risks", he said, adding state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) is responsible for purchasing excess electricity output, but must ensure system safety.

The Deputy PM noted that the ministries must urgently complete these regulations and submit them to him for approval on Friday (July 12). However, no new development has been recorded so far.

The country has about 103,000 rooftop solar power projects, with a total installed capacity of more than 9,500 MW. According to PDP VIII, the capacity of this power source will increase by 2,600 MW by 2030.

According to the MoIT, the government is encouraging the installation of self-use rooftop solar power systems, for easing the burden of financial costs, but not for business purposes or incentives as before. It is a "favor" for organizations and individuals to connect their excess rooftop power to the national grid, it said.

However, in subsequent comments, many experts proposed allowing organizations and households to connect excess rooftop solar power to the grid. Authorities can set limits to prevent policy profiteering, especially in industrial zones and clusters.

Deputy PM Ha also requested the MoIT and related parties to have solutions and design necessary conditions to avoid corruption and waste of resources.