Up to now, Vietnam Electricity has completed electricity supply to 100% of communes in the country, with the proportion of rural households having access to electricity reaching nearly 99%. With this achievement, Vietnam has been assessed by the World Bank as a successful and highly effective country in rural electrification investment. In fact, the proportion of people having access to electricity in Vietnam is higher than some countries in regions with similar or better economic conditions such as Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, etc.
At present, more than 1% of households in the country have yet to be electrified, most of them are in extremely difficult villages, topographically isolated and located too far from the national grid. Therefore, to realize the goal that by 2020 most of the rural households in the country will have access to electricity as directed by the Prime Minister in the Program on Electrification for Rural, Mountainous Areas and Islands during 2013 - 2020 (Program 2081), many difficulties and challenges must be dealt with. Not to mention, in these areas, people often live dispersedly and scattered, so investment rate for electrifying a household from the national power grid is very high, whereas power consumption and revenue is very low, etc.
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To cope with this situation, many experts assume that the use of distributed, independent, off-grid renewable energy sources in remote unelectrified areas could be one of the suitable solutions. To demonstrate in details, according to Ms. Nguy Thi Khanh, Director of Green ID, Green ID has deployed two off-grid renewable energy models in Dak Lak and An Giang. They are an off-grid solar power mini grid in Erot village - a distant, remote village in Cu Pui commune, Krongbong district, Dak Lak province (supplying electricity to 23 households, 1 church and 1 pure drinking water system); and a model of "hamlet using 100% solar panels" in An Hao commune, Tinh Bien district, An Giang province (installation of solar panels for 274 households in Vo Ba and Ta Lot hamlets). Solar power systems in these areas have provided households with sufficient electricity to meet their basic needs such as: lighting, cooling fans, watching television, listening to radio, etc.
Residents in these areas are mainly ethnic minority people, having considerably low demand for electricity consumption (only about 3kWh per household per month). Therefore, the use of stand-alone renewable energy systems such as portable solar lights, solar panels, mini hydropower stations, etc. can fully meet the demand. This solution both enables local people to have access to electricity and helps reduce costs of connection to the national grid. Moreover, the power sector can save human resources in management, operation and electricity bill payment collection.
Renewable energy development is a feasible solution for Vietnam to achieve the goal of rural electrification for 100% of households nationwide. However, experts presume that the socialization of resources should be promoted, especially in investment capital mobilization; public - private partnership should be enhanced to motivate both the state and people. In addition, technology transfer should be boosted, local capable workforce should be established and trained for installation, operation and maintenance of on-site renewable energy systems.