This conclusion was released at the workshop “Urban clean energy activities – pathway to net-zero for Vietnam” organized by the Vietnam Urban Energy Security project and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which gathered 120 experts.

Intensifying the implementation of clean energy solutions and the advancements in using energy economically and effectively offers great opportunities to build a sustainable and reliable energy sector which ensures green growth and promotes environmental sustainability, said Ann Marie Yastishock, USAID Vietnam Mission Director. USAID is assisting Vietnam in its transition to a more resilient and adaptive energy sector through the use of renewable energy sources.

Earlier, USAID and the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) signed a memorandum of understanding on Vietnam Urban Energy Security project. Realizing the importance of green energy, EVN set high goals to increase rooftop power capacity by 2025 and provide tools that help clients understand how to use cleaner energy.

Vietnam is one of the countries which has great potential for renewable energy in general and solar power in particular. The total solar radiation in Vietnam is between 4.3 and 5.7 kwh per square meter. In the Central Highlands and the southern part of the central region, the number of sunny hours is relatively high, 2,000-2,600 hours per annum.

With this great potential, Vietnam has witnessed a boom in solar power in general and rooftop solar power in particular, especially in 2019-2020. As of the end of 2020, there had been 104,000 rooftop solar power projects in 63 cities and provinces throughout the country, with the total capacity of 9,580 MWp, or 7,600 MWac.

In 2020, the electricity output from rooftop solar power projects accounted for 13.8 percent of the designed capacity of the entire electricity generation system, and 0.49 percent of total output. The figures were 12.3 percent and 4.46 percent, respectively, in 2021.

In the last five years, USAID has committed more than $40 million to support the energy sector in Vietnam and it plans to commit $36 million more in the next five years.

Luong Bang