When can rooftop solar power develop unlimitedly?

National Assembly delegates reflected that many businesses want to invest in “self-prodution, self-consumption” rooftop solar power but fail to do so due to the lack of mechanisms, policies and legal corridors.

On November 6 afternoon, National Assembly delegate Le Tat Hieu (Vinh Phuc) raised the issue of Power Plan VIII on breakthrough policies to promote solar power development (rooftop solar power) of households and construction works, especially in areas at risk of electricity shortages such as the North.

According to delegates, by 2030, this type will be prioritized for development of unlimited capacity with reasonable prices and taking advantage of the existing power grid as well as no need of upgrading.

In addition, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Electricity of Vietnam predicted that the summer of 2024 will be very hot and dry, with a very high risk of electricity shortage in the North.

Supplementing solar power sources needs to be implemented quickly to provide additional power sources for the North.

However, currently many businesses want to install self-production, self-consumption rooftop solar power in industrial parks but fail to do so due to the lack of mechanisms, policies and legal corridors.

The delegate requested the Minister of Industry and Trade to inform about plans to promulgate mechanisms and policies to have a legal corridor of developing rooftop solar power, including households, offices and industrial parks.

Responding to questions, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said that Power Plan VIII was approved by the Government with a total source of more than 150,000 MW. Of which, solar power is more than 12,000 MW (accounting for 8.5% of the total source), including more than 10,000 MW of concentrated solar power, more than 2,000 MW of self-produced and self-consumed solar power for grid connection.

Accordingly, the total renewable energy source, excluding hydroelectricity, is 28.5%. The Minister of Industry and Trade said that this is a very large structure, even only 20% in countries with state-of-the-art technology. “That shows Vietnam’s big efforts,” Mr. Dien emphasized.

To perform this plan, the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that it is necessary to focus on research and investment in smart grid systems and electricity storage systems; promoting the electricity market on three levels: competitive electricity generation, competitive electricity wholesale and competitive electricity retail.

At the same time, retail electricity tariffs must also be more flexible. Base electricity (including hydropower and thermal power) must have high tariffs to compensate for renewable energy when implementing the self-production and self-consumption mechanism.

Another solution mentioned by Mr. Dien is to encourage investment in self-production, self-consumption off-grid solar power systems; promulgate direct power purchase agreement mechanisms, promote the development of electricity storage systems, and foster the development of electricity markets.

Mr. Dien said that the Ministry of Industry and Trade has been submitting to the Government a decree on rooftop power development. When the Government has the official policies, the Ministry will follow it. At the same time, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is also submitting to the Government for promulgation of direct power purchase agreement mechanism based on the resolution of the National Assembly Standing Committee.

The Minister of Industry and Trade said that the development of unlimited rooftop solar power is only feasible when the technology is sufficiently developed and investors do not put pressure on the transmission system. “If there is no stable electricity base (accounting for 80-85%), no country can indefinitely develop renewable energy, including solar power,” Mr. Dien said.

 

Source:thanhnien.vn