Thailand: Firms upbeat on solar rooftop outlook

Thailand: Firms upbeat on solar rooftop outlook

Private firms are betting that solar rooftops for household use have a
bright future despite the current lukewarm interest.

Sumrit Sitthiwaranuwong, chief executive of Solar D Corporation Ltd, a solar
rooftop installation and service provider, said residential solar rooftops
may be unpopular now because energy policy does not encourage householders
to install solar panels.

There are several factors why people are reluctant to have solar panels, he
said. One main reason is the high cost of installation as most of the
materials have to be imported. Then, even if they are willing to pay, they
are currently prohibited from selling the power generated by their solar
panels to state utilities.

That has made residential owners feel that solar rooftop panels are not
worth investing in, Mr Sumrit said.

A further disincentive is the potential levy solar power developers have to
pay to the Electricity Generating Authority. Despite Egat's assurance levy
collection is only at a feasibility study stage and unlikely to be imposed
in the near future, many householders are waiting for a clearer policy
before making any decisions.

Power storage is another issue.

"Currently, it would not be worth it for people to invest for commercial
purposes as the power produced from solar rooftop panels would only be
enough for their refrigerators during the daytime, as they cannot store
power to be used at night, and even if they have surplus power it cannot be
sold to the state utilities," he said, adding that innovations would soon
solve the storage problem to make solar panels more popular.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1298451/firms-upbeat-on-solar-rooft
op-outlook

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com