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Vietnam’s electricity-sector leaders have described a five-year target to install rooftop solar on 50% of government offices and households as “ambitious and challenging,” saying it will require a strong policy framework and measures to remove cost barriers.
The comments were made by Bui Quoc Hoan, Deputy General Director of the Southern Power Corporation (EVNSPC), at a forum on solutions to reduce pressure on electricity supply for the 2026–2030 period, co-organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade newspaper (Cong Thuong) with EVN and EVNSPC on April 21.
According to Power Planning VIII, by 2030 around 50% of office and household rooftops are expected to have rooftop solar generation for on-site use (not fed into the national grid), with total capacity of about 26,000 MW—equivalent to the output of 13 Hoa Binh hydropower plants.
EVNSPC leaders said achieving the target will depend on coordinated deployment as electricity demand rises rapidly and the power system faces growing strain.
NSMO leaders said demand growth is placing significant pressure on the power system. Nguyen Quoc Trung, Deputy General Director of the National System Operations and Market Company (NSMO), said the system is under strain as consumption increases “unprecedentedly.”
He cited that national electricity consumption reached 1 billion kWh per day on March 31, and 1.092 billion kWh on April 8, with a peak load of 52,225 MW. The forecast of 1.1 billion kWh per day could occur shortly after the April 30 holiday.
“If temperatures rise by 1–2°C, the system must take on power equivalent to one Hoa Binh hydropower plant,” Mr. Trung said.
On the supply side, hydropower output is declining due to water shortages, meeting only about 70 million kWh per day. Coal and gas-fired plants also face risks linked to fuel price volatility and conditions in the global energy market.
NSMO leaders view rooftop solar as an important supplementary source. Currently, rooftop solar capacity is about 8,400 MW, providing 5–7% of daily electricity output.
They highlighted advantages including fast deployment, reduced dependence on imported fuels, and a large potential of about 963,000 MW.
Despite its advantages, leaders said rooftop solar deployment still faces significant barriers that make the 50% target difficult.
Bui Trung Kien, Deputy General Director of Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation, said public skepticism remains tied to high upfront costs and concerns about efficiency.
He noted that for households, installation procedures have been simplified: citizens only need to notify the electricity sector via hotline, the public service portal, or customer care apps to update the database and receive feedback and support. Homeowners installing rooftop solar only need to notify the Department of Industry and Trade or the electricity sector through the public service portal and customer care hotline, and they will be contacted promptly.
“The procedures are very simple,” Kiên said. However, he added that typical investment costs range from 100–200 million VND, which leads many households to reconsider. For households needing more electricity at night, energy storage systems are required, but the investment cost for storage remains a challenge.
From a corporate perspective, Nguyen Thuong Quan, General Director of Sao Nam Integrated Technology Joint Stock Company, said the biggest barrier is confidence in the return on investment. “People still worry about costs and payback time, even though it is currently only about 2–3.5 years,” he said.
Trinh Quoc Vu, Deputy Director of the Electricity Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), said the ministry is developing a mechanism to encourage rooftop solar deployment for submission to the Prime Minister, aiming to create new momentum for the market.
He pointed to earlier experience with feed-in tariffs: when the mechanism was applied, Vietnam rapidly developed more than 19,000 MW of solar power. “In 2017, even though the average retail electricity price was about 1,732 VND/kWh, we still accepted buying solar electricity at more than 2,000 VND/kWh, showing strong determination,” he said.
Mr. Vu said that technological advances have reduced the cost of solar electricity for both large-scale and rooftop projects, while retail electricity prices have risen to about 2,204 VND/kWh. He added that traditional electricity prices may continue to fluctuate due to fuel input dependence, while rooftop solar electricity has more stable costs and clearer effectiveness.
He said households and businesses need to recognize the full benefits to invest with confidence in the period ahead.
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