Vietnam wants greater adoption of rooftop solar power systems

[HO CHI MINH CITY] Vietnam – the top generator of solar energy in South-east Asia – has an ambitious plan for at least half of the country’s office buildings and houses to be equipped with rooftop solar panels for self-consumption by 2030.

This self-produced solar energy will be purely for on-site consumption, and not meant for sale to the national grid. Industry players and analysts, however, are divided on whether this 50 per cent target can be achieved, given the lack of incentives to drive adoption.

Nguyen Anh Khoa, the head of energy and infrastructure at VinaCapital, an investment management firm based in Ho Chi Minh City, said the take-up rate of rooftop solar panels “is less likely to take off” without clear guidance on regulations, available funding sources, market education and the participation of the private sector.