Solar panels on residential buildings linked to national grid in spotlight

• 7 November 2019
• Local News
• 4395 Views

The Ministry of Mines and Energy will work on a regulation for allowing solar panels installed on roofs on residential buildings, apartments, and condos to sell the remaining power after usage to the national grid.

The remarks were made amid the increase in residential buildings, apartments and condos in Phnom Penh and in the provinces.

Victor Jona, Director General of Energy at Ministry of Mines and Energy, said that installing solar panels on roofs of residential buildings is important for their own power usage and for sale to EDC of their remaining power.

Currently, the ministry has only a regulation to allow industrial enterprises such as Coca-Cola and a cement factory in Kampot province to install solar panels and sell the excess power to the national grid.

“The regulation related to factories we already have, but for residential or for apartment buildings, it does not exist. The Electricity Authority of Cambodia and General Directorate of Energy will together work on the regulation,” Mr Jona said.

The Cambodian government has set the target to increase clean energy or green energy from all sources of renewable energy for sustainable power supplies which is not harmful to the environment.

Currently, scores of residential and apartment buildings have installed solar panels on their roofs for internal usage, but sales to the national grid have not been possible due to no existing regulation.

As of 2022, the government says at least 410 MW will be produced from solar parks.

Due to the domestic demand for solar panels, Mr Jona urged for investment in manufacturing solar panel to sell the products to investors locally.

“We support establishing solar panel manufacturing factories in Cambodia because in years to come there will be demand, but it requires study first. In general, the government supports it,” Mr Jona said.

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