Ministry urges faster rooftop solar rollout

Ministry urges faster rooftop solar rollout

Although a number of policies have been issued to promote the deployment of rooftop solar systems, the ministry said implementation remains modest.

Workers are installing solar panels on a building in Cà Mau Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Trung Hiếu

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has called for efforts to be hastened to accelerate the deployment of rooftop solar systems amid significant delays in policy implementation nationwide.

Although a number of policies have been issued to promote the deployment of rooftop solar systems, the ministry said implementation remains modest.

Only two of 17 ministries and ministerial-level agencies have issued plans to implement the government’s directives on rooftop solar, while eight of 34 provinces and cities have yet to report on their implementation plans, the ministry said.

Only two provinces, Bắc Ninh and Lai Châu, have so far introduced financial support schemes for households installing rooftop solar systems, highlighting the uneven pace of policy implementation.

Bắc Ninh has moved to provide direct financial incentives. Eligible households can receive VNĐ1 million (US$38) per kilowatt-peak (kWp) of installed solar capacity, capped at VNĐ3 million. Households installing an integrated battery storage system (BESS) can receive an additional VNĐ1 million per kilowatt-hour (kWh), also capped at VNĐ3 million, bringing the potential support to VNĐ6 million per household.

The push come as electricity demand is expected to rise rapidly in northern industrial centres.

Rooftop solar could help meet part of that demand by allowing households and businesses with high electricity consumption to generate power locally, said Bùi Xuân Hồi, rector of the Northern Power Corporation College of Electricity.

Nguyễn Hữu Khoa from the HCM City Electric Power College said rooftop solar adoption remained low, with less than 1 per cent of households using such systems and installations at industrial parks estimated at around 5-7 per cent.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has asked Vietnam Electricity increase checks of rooftop solar connections during installation and operation to ensure smooth operation.

The ministry also asked ministries, authorities and the EVN to report implementation results so they can be compiled and submitted to the prime minister.

Under Decree 58/2025/NĐ-CP, issued on March 3, 2025, public administrative offices, schools and hospitals are required to secure funding for rooftop solar installations by March 31, 2027. State-funded agencies can seek financial support from the Ministry of Finance and provincial authorities, according to the regulations.

Decree 243/2026/NĐ-CP, issued on June 26, 2026, also provides for households to sell surplus electricity to the national grid, with the amount eligible for sale capped at 50 per cent of output under the applicable mechanism. 

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