Under Decision No. 11/2017/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister dated 11 April, 2017, rooftop solar power projects connecting to the national grid are implemented under the mechanism of power compensation, using two-dimensional meters. In a payment cycle, the lager amount of generated power from this project over the amount of consumed power will be transferred to the next cycle. At the end of the year or the power purchase agreement, the surplus power amount will be sold to the power purchaser at the prescribed tariff.
Difficulties in rooftop solar power needs to be promptly handled
Ho Chi Minh City is one of the leading localities in developing rooftop solar power. By mid-June, 2018, 284 users of rooftop solar power connecting to the grid have registered to sell their surplus power to EVNHCMC with a total capacity of 3.64 kWp. In order to support customers, EVNHCMC initiatively tested technical requirements, installed two-dimensional meters, recorded indexes of power consumption and solar power amount generated back to the grid for power customers, etc. But up to now, EVNHCMC has not been able to sign any solar power purchase agreement with customers because there is no official guideline on calculating the consumed power compensation, value added tax and issuing invoices to customers in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Finance.
According to Mr. Do Duc Tuong -Renewable Energy Specialist, Circular from the Ministry of Finance, or Inter-branch Circular of Finance - Industry and Trade should be promptly issued, detailing the compensation mode of consumed power, value added tax and bill in the electricity agreement between EVN and the households. According to Mr. Tran Viet Ngai - Chairman of Vietnam Energy Association, mobilizing all people to develop solar power systems on roofs, ponds, hillsides, buildings, etc., is necessary in the current context of our country. As a result, the ministries, branches should promptly solve all obstacles for the rooftop solar power connecting the grid.
If such obstacles are solved, this type of power will be rapidly developed. With tens of millions of households in Vietnam, only a few kWh generated to the grid by each household, the total output will be very large, making a significant contribution to reducing the pressure on investment in power source, especially when traditional fuel sources for power generation are increasingly exhausted.