Simplify procedures to the maximum, encourage the development of rooftop solar power

On the morning of April 10, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired a meeting to listen to a report on the draft Decree regulating mechanisms and policies to encourage the development of rooftop solar power.

Maximum decentralization to locality

At the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that rooftop solar power is a renewable energy source that needs to be prioritized and encouraged for development; resources of organizations and individuals should be mobilized, and the existing transmission network should be utilized. Therefore, the Decree must overcome existing shortcomings and limitations, thereby identifying the subjects, technical standards, and having incentive mechanisms and policies for each subject, operating method (self-production, self-consumption, connection with the national power system, having electricity storage equipment, etc.); technological solutions to ensure the safety and stability of the base power system when bringing rooftop solar power to the power system.

Meeting scene. Photo: Van Diep/VNA

Emphasizing the importance of rooftop solar power in contributing to ensuring energy security, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha said that this is an urgent issue and an important solution to mobilize social resources to implement the Power Plan VIII. Therefore, the mechanism and policies to encourage organizations and individuals to invest in rooftop solar power are consistent policies.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired the meeting. Photo: Van Diep/VNA

The Deputy Prime Minister stated that rooftop solar power, offshore wind power, biomass power, waste-to-energy... (including projects that export electricity without connecting to the national grid, green hydrogen production, self-production, self-consumption...) are given priority for development under conditions that meet technology requirements, system safety, and reasonable prices. Developing rooftop solar power is an economical and effective solution.

From a scientific , practical and legal basis, the Decree needs to clearly define the content, objectives and scope of the subjects, which are organizations and individuals installing rooftop solar power in the form of self-production, self-consumption, non-business and business; thereby providing incentive policies, safety regulations, fire prevention and fighting accordingly.

Specifically, for households, offices, office buildings... installing rooftop solar power for self-production, self-consumption, not for business purposes, standard documents must be developed, procedures must be simplified as much as possible, except for projects with special requirements on safety, fire prevention and fighting.

Businesses investing in rooftop solar power for use, and installing additional power storage equipment for business, need to calculate reasonable prices, financial support, interest rates... and encourage investment.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that it is necessary to carefully calculate the scale of rooftop solar power development based on science and technology, technological equipment, transmission grid, economic efficiency; protect the long-term interests of investors; and focus on environmental protection. The Ministry of Industry and Trade will coordinate with ministries and branches to research, propose requirements, technical conditions, criteria for rooftop solar power sources that need to be more strictly controlled, financial policies related to rooftop solar power... in the spirit of maximum decentralization to localities.

Three policies to encourage rooftop solar power

According to the report of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, rooftop solar power is installed on the roofs of private houses, offices, industrial parks... for self-production and self-consumption; may or may not be linked to the national power system; not for business, not for sale of electricity to other organizations or individuals.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said that there are currently 3 policies to encourage rooftop solar power, including: Allowing installation without following the Power Plan VIII; rooftop solar power sources are linked and generate excess capacity to the national grid at a price based on the time; supporting interest rates when investing in electricity storage equipment.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien speaks. Photo: Van Diep/VNA

At the meeting, Mr. Do Van Nam, member of the Board of Members of the Northern Power Corporation, said that currently, enterprises in industrial parks really need encouragement in terms of procedures and policies on rooftop solar power. The recommended solution for industrial parks and clusters is to examine and determine the safety of existing works when installing additional rooftop solar power; issue a sample set of documents for new rooftop solar power installation works; decentralize to localities and clearly stipulate the time for settlement...

Sharing the same view, Mr. Bui Quoc Hoan, Deputy General Director of Southern Power Corporation, said that it is necessary to encourage enterprises in industrial parks to install equipment to store unused rooftop solar power to convert it into clean baseload power, then send it to the grid during the evening peak at a suitable price.

Reporting on the national grid's ability to ensure safety and stability when increasing renewable power capacity, a representative of the National Power System Control Center said that the grid can be stable and safe when renewable power accounts for 50% of the total load capacity. Accordingly, the grid in the North can ensure safety and stability when the rooftop solar power capacity is at 5,000-7,000 MW, equivalent to the current assessment of rooftop solar power potential in the North.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha delivered a concluding speech at the meeting. Photo: Van Diep/VNA

Representatives of leaders of ministries and branches also discussed solutions to reform and shorten administrative procedures on environment, construction, fire prevention and fighting... in licensing rooftop solar power installation; preferential interest rate support; criteria for determining base electricity generated from rooftop solar power storage; authority to grant green credits to businesses using rooftop solar power in production; technical standards and regulations to control and ensure safety when generating or not generating surplus electricity to the grid...

According to VNA/Tin Tuc Newspaper

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