Additionally, the proposed maximum surplus electricity sale would be 50 percent instead of 20 percent.

The ministry is seeking opinions on a draft Decree amending and supplementing some articles of government’s Decree No57 dated March 3, 2025, regulating the mechanism for direct electricity trading between renewable energy generators and large electricity users, and Decree No58 dated March 3, 2025, detailing certain articles of the Electricity Law on renewable energy and new energy development.

A notable point is the ministry’s proposal to amend and supplement some articles of Decree No58 to simplify the notification procedure for developing self-produced, self-consuming rooftop solar power sources.

Under the draft, organizations and individuals installing this type of rooftop solar not connected to the national grid only need to send a notification to the commune-level People’s Committee where the power source is installed, instead of applying for multiple permits as before. 

Notification contents include: name of the organization or individual; installed capacity scale; location, start date, and completion date. The commune-level People’s Committee is responsible for compiling and annually reporting to the Department of Industry and Trade.

For organizations and individuals installing this kind of rooftop solar connected to the national grid at a low-voltage level, they must send notifications as prescribed. The commune-level People’s Committee is responsible for receiving and forwarding the notification to the local power company for coordinated management, monitoring, and guidance in compliance with law.

In cases of selling surplus electricity, the commune-level People’s Committee must send the notification to the Department of Industry and Trade within five working days for management as prescribed.

Organizations and individuals installing this type of rooftop solar with a capacity of less than 1 kW (calculated by inverter power) are not required to notify.

MOIT also proposes that organizations and individuals installing their rooftop solar systems connected to the national grid at medium voltage level and above but not registering to sell surplus electricity must send notifications to the Department of Industry and Trade.

Then, the department is responsible for sending the notification to state management agencies and relevant units locally for management, monitoring, and guidance in compliance with law.

Additionally, in the draft, MOIT proposes increasing the maximum surplus electricity sale ratio from 20 percent to 50 percent. This aims to encourage the rooftop solar development until the end of 2030 as per the National Power Development Plan.

The purchase price is calculated based on the previous year’s average market price announced by the market operator but it must not exceed the ceiling price of ground-mounted solar of the same type.

For self-use rooftop solar systems installed on public assets, the ministry proposes two options. Option 1 does not allow selling surplus electricity; Option 2 allows selling surplus electricity as per the National Assembly Resolution.

Prior to that, at the October 8 regular press conference, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan reiterated that the revised eighth National Power Development (Plan VIII) targets 50 percent of Vietnamese households (about 14 million) to install rooftop solar systems for self-use by 2030. 

He affirmed that the ministry fully supports rooftop solar development and has no intention of creating obstacles for the public.

However, the Deputy Minister emphasized that rooftop solar installation needs notification, so that the power sector can grasp information and system capacity, ensuring reasonable supply planning.

He stressed that electricity is a technical sector, so public guidance is needed. He encouraged citizens to use online channels and public service platforms to submit registration forms.

Electricity of Vietnam has also repeatedly emphasized the need to require rooftop solar power system installers to notify their installation to local authorities.

It has proposed adding a regulation stating that organizations and individuals developing rooftop solar systems for self-production and self-consumption without notification or registration should face administrative penalties depending on the severity of their violations.

“The provision aims to ensure that the notification and registration requirements are legally binding, prevent regulatory gaps in enforcement, and strengthen state management in line with the law on handling administrative violations,” EVN said.

In addition, MOIT is advised to include implementation guidelines for solar power systems installed on irrigation canals, reservoir dams, and hydropower lakes.

After 2020, around 1,300 Mwp of rooftop solar systems have been installed without selling electricity to EVN. With an electricity price of about VND1,000 per kwh, selling to EVN is no longer financially attractive.

Nguyen Le