Gov’t Encourages the Public to Install Rooftop Solar Panels

In a bid to promote the use of clean and renewable energy, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ignasius Jonan has called on the people to install rooftop solar panels in their houses.

“You can save electricity bills by installing rooftop solar panels,” Jonan said at the One Million Solar Panels Rooftop Campaign, in Jakarta, last July.

For the record, Regulation of Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Number 49 of 2018 on Use of the Solar-Generated Power System on Roofs by state-owned electricity company PLN consumers has paved the way for the public to install on-grid solar panels systems within PLN’s system.

The power generated from the solar panels will automatically cut the user’s electricity bill in the following month at a maximum of 65 percent of the total power generated by the solar panels.

For the record, almost all buildings of Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources have installed rooftop solar panels, one of which is the building of Directorate General of New and Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation of the Ministry in Central Jakarta. The solar panel—which has been installed since 2015 on the building—have a capacity of 20 kilo Watt peak (kWp) with a peak capacity of 20,160 watts per day with four hours charging time.

“By utilizing space of around 40 square meters on the roof, the panels can provide electricity for eight floors below,” Secretary of Directorate General of New and Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation of the Ministry Halim Sari Wardana said on Thursday (8/8).

In addition to providing opportunities for the public to use renewable and eco-friendly energy, Wardana continued, the regulation also aims to boost the use of new and renewable energy in the national energy mix, accelerate the use of solar energy, encourage business development of solar panel industry, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Furthermore, there are a number of provisions that are regulated in the ministerial regulation, including:

1. The maximum capacity of the solar panels system installed is 100 percent of the connected power from PLN to the costumers;
2. The electricity export-import scheme is calculated based on the kWh export value recorded on the export-import kWh meter x 65 percent. The kWh export value surplus will be accumulated in the following month as a kWh bill deduction. Every three months, if there is still a surplus it will be reset to zero;
3. Installation of a solar panels system must have a certificate indicating that the installation is in a good condition to operate (SLO);
4. The PLN consumers who are interested in installing solar panels on their roof must submit applications to PLN Regional/Distribution office;
5. Installation of solar panels system must be done by a certified installer company. Installations that have met the State Electricity Company Standards (SPLN) and Indonesian National Standard (SNI) governing security and safety of the installation can be found in the following list: http://ebtke.esdm.go.id/post/2019/08/02/2306/daftar.badan.usaha.pembangunan.dan.pemasangan.plts. (Humas Kementerian ESDM/ES)

Translated by: Galuh Wicaksono
Edited by: Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas