New policy is expected to facilitate payment mechanism between buyer and seller on grid-connected solar power
The above-mentioned Decision amends and supplements a number of articles in Decision No. 11/2017/QD-TTg dated 11 April, 2017 on mechanisms of encouraging the development of solar power projects in Viet Nam.
Particularly, under the newly-amended Decision, power seller shall make bill payment for the power amount received from the power grid in accordance with current regulations. The power buyer shall make bill payment for the power amount energized to the grid from rooftop solar power project at electricity price rate specified as that of grid-connected solar power project.
The parties shall be responsible for implementing regulations of the current law on taxation and fee collection.
The trading power price of rooftop projects for the following year is determined on the basis of central exchange rate of Vietnamese dong against US dollar announced by the State Bank of Viet Nam on the date of final announcement in previous year.
Previously, in accordance with Decision No. 11/2017/QD-TTg, rooftop projects shall be implemented with mechanism of net-metering using two-way meter system. In a payment cycle, if the amount of power generated from rooftop projects is greater than the consumed one, it will be transferred to the next cycle. At the end of the year or an electricity purchasing agreement, the excess power amount will be sold to the buyer with the regulated electricity price.
By the end of 2018, about 1,500 customers had installed rooftop solar power connected to the grid, with a total capacity of over 19,000kWp. These customers had been installed with two-way meters by the Power sector. Particularly, Ho Chi Minh City is the leading unit with more than 900 customers installing grid-connected solar power with total capacity of 10,382kWp.