A renewables investor told VietNamNet he cannot understand why MOIT encourages to install rooftop solar power systems only on residential homes and offices.

“It is really incomprehensible why MOIT doesn’t mention industrial zones (IZs) when talking about the rooftop solar power development strategy,” he said, adding that while other ministries and branches all ask to expand the allowed scope of rooftop solar power system installation, the advisory body on energy policy (MOIT) disagrees.

“The benefits from rooftop solar power in IZ are great, for the state, Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), electricity buyers and electricity generators, especially when the north is suffering from electricity shortage,” he continued.

“It is a surprise that MOIT, which is in charge of ensuring electricity supply and power sector development, needs reminding from other ministries of the necessity to set preferential policies in order to be able to exploit the benefits of the model,” he said. “EVN itself has many times suggested MOIT issue this policy."

To encourage rooftop solar power development, ministries all want to expand the allowed scope of rooftop solar power systems to schools, hospitals, farms, production workshops, airports, railways stations, seaports and others.

But MOIT has only given a short reply that it is following the instruction of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha in Notice No 219, which shows that subjects of this time are homes and office buildings, while the other subjects will be mentioned in the next decisions.

MOIT also rejected to allow investors to cooperate with people and organizations that own houses and office buildings to install rooftop solar power systems under self-production and self-consumption under agreements between the two parties. 

It stressed that the mechanism aims to develop rooftop solar power systems for use, not for business.

Analysts pointed out that the draft document compiled by MOIT has the word ‘encouragement’, but there is nothing which really ‘encourages’ rooftop solar power to develop. The mechanisms in the document are vague, with no breakthrough to attract investments.

Le Chi Hieu from the HCM City University of Technology said he agrees with the ‘self-production and self-consumption’ principle when developing rooftop solar power stated in the eighth national electricity development plan (Plan 8), but stressed that if there is no detailed regulation, the strategy will fail.

“If we only think of developing rooftop solar power on people’s homes and office buildings, nothing will be solved. If we want to develop the national electricity system, we have to think about developing rooftop solar power systems in IZs,” Hiep said.

Le Hai Hung, PhD from the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said the plan by MOIT is not good and is "unsuitable to Plan 8."

“Under Plan 8, we encourage 'self-production, self-consumption’ rooftop solar power. If so, why don’t we allow many subjects to install power generation works?” he said, adding that MOIT seems to be confused when suggesting mechanisms for the issue.

“MOIT should allow all people to install rooftop solar power systems,” Hung said.

“We want to have a great concert, but we don’t prepare enough seats for a large audience,” he commented.

According to MOIT, under Plan 8, which has been approved, the total capacity of rooftop solar power, including self-produced and self-consumed rooftop solar power, would increase by 2,600MW, and with that scale, there is no need to set policies to encourage the installation of rooftop solar power systems. 

The ministry said that if just 12.5 percent of households, and each household installed 1 kwh of rooftop solar power in 2023, Vietnam would fulfill the plan on rooftop solar power development for the entire development period (2021-2030) in Plan 8.

However, Hung commented that MOIT’s calculations are too optimistic.

In HCM City, where the solar radiation intensity is 4.5 kwh/m2/day, a household consuming 36kwh/day, would have to install a rooftop solar power system with the capacity of 8kWp (8kWp x 4,5 kWh/m2/day = 36kWh ).

The problem is that the household won’t be able to use the electricity it generates, because the sun is not strong in the morning when electricity demand is high. At noon, when the sun is strongest, fewer people are at home to use electricity. And in the evening, when family members are at home, the system cannot generate electricity as there is no sun.

Luong Bang