{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1989464,
        "msgid": "thailand-to-expand-household-solar-programme-1789801121",
        "date": "2026-09-19 13:19:38",
        "title": "Thailand to expand household solar programme",
        "author": "",
        "source": "ANTARA_ID",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Energy",
        "summary": "Thailand is set to increase the capacity of its residential solar programme to 10 gigawatts, allowing households to sell excess electricity back to the grid. The expansion aims to empower citizens in clean energy production while ensuring grid stability through new regulatory frameworks.",
        "content": "<p>Bangkok (ANTARA) - Thailand will expand its household solar programme\nto 10 gigawatts (GW) and purchase excess electricity from participants\nat a price of 2.20 baht (1 baht = Rp532) or approximately 0.07 US\ndollars (1 US dollar = Rp17,753) per kilowatt-hour under 20-year\ncontracts, a government official announced on Friday (18\/9).<\/p>\n<p>Thailand\u2019s National Energy Policy Council has increased the maximum\ncapacity for the \u201csolar for the people\u201d scheme to 10 GW, which is\nsufficient for approximately one million households, up from an initial\nproposal of 5 GW, said Lalida Periswiwatana, a deputy spokesperson for\nthe Thai government.<\/p>\n<p>The purchases will be conducted using a net billing system, Lalida\nnoted. Households will first use the electricity they generate\nthemselves and only sell their surplus, which is capped at 5 kilowatts\nper meter, she added. The contract duration has been extended from 10\nyears to 20 years to align with the lifespan of solar panels, with the\ncapacity increase covering the period from 2026 to 2028.<\/p>\n<p>Households are now also permitted to install panels on land and on\nwater, rather than being limited solely to rooftops, she stated.<\/p>\n<p>Thailand\u2019s National Energy Policy Council has granted one month to\nthe Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Interior, and three state-owned\nelectricity utilities to develop a grid readiness plan. This plan must\ninclude electricity generation estimates, real-time monitoring,\ntransmission and distribution control, and battery storage.<\/p>\n<p>Increasing the capacity to 10 GW will grant the public a larger role\nin producing clean energy, but the move must proceed alongside grid\nreadiness to ensure that the additional capacity does not compromise the\nsecurity of the electrical system, Lalida said.<\/p>\n<p>The deputy spokesperson added that relevant agencies have also been\nasked to find ways to amend existing 10-year contracts so that previous\nparticipants do not need to cancel their contracts and reapply.\nMeanwhile, the Ministry of Industry has been tasked with developing a\nrecycling plan for solar panels and batteries.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/thailand-to-expand-household-solar-programme-1789801121",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}