Perplatsi: Solar power plant design must be needs-based and sustainable
Solar power plants (PLTS) can deliver a major impact for communities if they are designed around needs, not merely capacity.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Nimas Puspito Pratiwi, General Treasurer of the Indonesian Rooftop Solar Installers Association (Perplatsi), has said the design of solar power installations carried out by the government must be tailored to the actual needs of communities and built on a sustainable system.
Speaking at the Indonesia Solar Summit 2026 webinar attended in Jakarta on Thursday, Nimas said solar power can have a major impact on communities if it is designed around needs rather than capacity alone.
“Needs are mapped from the outset, designs are based on real conditions, installation quality is maintained, there are local operators who understand the system, there are operation and maintenance mechanisms, there is access to spare parts and technical support, and the system is monitored. And most importantly, the energy has productive uses,” said Nimas.
She said there needs to be a paradigm shift in designing electrification programmes, from being merely an infrastructure project to a long-term service ecosystem, starting with needs assessment, engineering and design, quality installation, operator training, and preventive monitoring through to maintenance, so that the energy can ultimately be used productively.
From a well-structured design, reliable electricity can be created that enables communities to use assets productively, adds value to products, and ultimately increases local incomes. Beyond that, energy also improves the quality of basic services such as schools, health facilities and connectivity.
“A very concrete example is energy powering pumps for clean water and irrigation, or energy being used for milling or processing agricultural produce. In the fisheries sector, energy can support the cooling and storage of catches. For micro, small and medium enterprises (UMKM), energy can operate production machinery and extend business hours, as well as saving energy,” said Nimas.
Perplatsi has mapped five pillars that the government needs to pay attention to in ensuring solar energy services and their benefits continue, namely need-based design, quality assurance, local capacity, lifecycle or operations and maintenance, and productive use.
She judged that the success of an infrastructure project is not merely when the system switches on, but years later when the system is still running and the community is still reaping the benefits.
Nimas also said the government should not only bring electricity to villages but also consider what benefits communities will gain from equitable, sustainable electrification.
“To achieve that, what is needed is not just good technology, but also the right design, quality of implementation, local capacity, long-term maintenance, and collaboration,” she said.