Economic benefits for households and businesses

Mr. Hoan noted that Vietnam's power generation mix has undergone significant changes in recent years. In the past, electricity generation was primarily undertaken by state-owned enterprises such as Vietnam Electricity (EVN), Vietnam National Industry – Energy Group (PVN), and Vietnam National Coal – Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin). However, following the introduction of the competitive power generation market and incentive mechanisms for solar and wind power, the ownership structure of generation sources has changed considerably.

Mr. Bui Quoc Hoan, EVNSPC Vice President, speaking at seminar

Currently, state-owned enterprises account for only about 50% of the country's installed generation capacity, including approximately 37% for EVN (including its GENCOs), 7.3% for PVN, and 2% for Vinacomin. The remaining capacity belongs to private investors, independent power producers (IPPs), BOT projects, and more than 100,000 rooftop solar installations.

In the electricity distribution and retail sector, EVN still holds approximately 90% of the market, while the remaining 10% is served by more than 700 non-EVN electricity retailers. These retailers are also expected to play an increasingly important role in promoting rooftop solar development as electricity pricing continues to transition toward market-based mechanisms.

The ongoing green transition across transportation, industry, and other sectors relies heavily on replacing fossil fuels with electricity. The key question is where the electricity needed to support the green transition will come from. The fundamental solution lies in developing clean energy sources, particularly renewable energy. This approach not only strengthens energy security but also contributes to achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. For EVNSPC, self-produced and self-consumed rooftop solar power is one of the corporation's key strategic solutions.

He emphasized that Southern Vietnam enjoys the country's highest solar irradiation, with approximately 2,000–2,600 sunshine hours annually, making it the region with the greatest rooftop solar development potential. The region has maintained strong rooftop solar growth both during the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) period and after the Government introduced the self-production and self-consumption regulatory framework.

Besides lowering electricity costs for households and businesses, rooftop solar systems help enterprises comply with international sustainability requirements, including Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards and carbon-related initiatives such as CBAM and RE100. Furthermore, widespread rooftop solar deployment reduces pressure on the power system and enhances national energy security.

According to EVNSPC's estimates, rooftop solar systems integrated with appropriately sized battery energy storage systems can achieve a typical payback period of only four to six years.

EVNSPC commits maximum support for rooftop solar development

Mr. Hoan reaffirmed EVNSPC's commitment to facilitating rooftop solar deployment through a comprehensive range of support measures. All grid connection procedures have been made publicly available on the corporation's customer service portal, and application processing times have been shortened to the greatest extent possible.

For customers who have already installed rooftop solar systems but have not yet completed the required legal procedures, EVNSPC proactively contacts them and provides guidance on regulatory compliance. The corporation also works closely with provincial and municipal Departments of Industry and Trade to promote rooftop solar development in accordance with applicable regulations. When requested by the Department of Industry and Trade to assess whether the local distribution network has sufficient capacity to accommodate a proposed rooftop solar installation, EVNSPC commits to completing the technical assessment and providing a response within three working days.

Rooftop solar power has seen strong growth across Southern Vietnam

Thanks to these coordinated efforts, Southern Vietnam has now installed approximately 5,000MWp of rooftop solar capacity, including 4,500MWp developed under the FIT mechanism and nearly 500MWp installed under the self-production and self-consumption scheme. Electricity generated from self-produced and self-consumed rooftop solar systems currently accounts for more than 1% of the region's commercial electricity sales.

Mr. Hoan also stressed that unauthorized rooftop solar installations without prior notification to the electricity utility make it more difficult to forecast demand, evaluate grid hosting capacity, and develop optimal system operating plans. EVNSPC therefore encourages households and businesses to complete all required procedures in accordance with regulations and to provide information on installed capacity so that the utility can update its digital database for power system planning and operational optimization.

EVNSPC remains committed to working closely with local authorities and supporting businesses throughout Southern Vietnam in developing self-produced and self-consumed rooftop solar systems integrated with battery energy storage, thereby contributing to the Government's green and sustainable development objectives, Mr. Hoan concluded.

Translator: Thu Hường