Vietnam-Germany strengthen technical cooperation to develop rooftop solar power
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- Tech news
With great potential for renewable energy, Vietnam has successfully implemented a number of cooperation projects with Germany on developing rooftop solar power. This is considered a foundation to further promote technical cooperation in developing rooftop solar power between the two sides, thereby helping Vietnam continue to develop solar power in its energy structure.
NDO – With great potential for renewable energy, Vietnam has successfully implemented a number of cooperation projects with Germany on developing rooftop solar power. This is considered a foundation to further promote technical cooperation in developing rooftop solar power between the two sides, thereby helping Vietnam continue to develop solar power in its energy structure.
A Breakthrough in Rooftop Solar Power in Vietnam
With production costs decreasing, solar power is becoming a reasonably priced source of electricity among other sources. Vietnam has the potential to converge all favorable conditions to expand the development of solar power, when the equipment is domestically produced, labor costs are low and the source of solar radiation is high.
With about 17GW of solar power capacity in operation since 2020, Vietnam is currently the leading country in the ASEAN region in solar power development.
More than 100.000 rooftop solar power systems have been installed, equivalent to nearly 50% of total solar power capacity, marking an important milestone for Vietnam's power system in achieving the national climate change target - achieving net zero emissions by 0.
Recently issued legal documents, such as Decree 80/2024/ND-CP on the Direct Power Purchase Agreement Mechanism and Decree 135/2024/ND-CP promoting self-produced and self-consumed rooftop solar power, have created a legal framework to promote the development of the rooftop solar power market.
In that context, the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) and the Electricity and Renewable Energy Agency, Ministry of Industry and Trade has coordinated the implementation of the Commercial and Industrial Rooftop Solar Project (CIRTS). The project is funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and will be implemented from February 2 to January 2021 with a budget of 1 million euros.
Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and GIZ jointly organized a CIRTS Project summary event to evaluate the results of technical cooperation between Vietnam and Germany, and at the same time open up new solutions to promote sustainable development of renewable energy in the future.
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Experts and speakers discuss opportunities and challenges of rooftop solar power in Vietnam. (Photo: TRUNG HUNG) |
Within the framework of the project, many remarkable results have been implemented, creating a solid foundation for the development of rooftop solar power in Vietnam, becoming an important pillar in ensuring a clean, safe and cost-effective power supply.
Accordingly, the project has contributed to raising public awareness, supporting EVN to promote the implementation of quality standards and regulations on fire safety, and developing operation and maintenance guidelines to maintain performance and extend the life of rooftop solar power systems.
Through the project, staff of Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) are equipped with tools to accurately forecast solar power output, while building an effective coordination mechanism between units operating the power transmission and distribution system.
Within the framework of the project, a manual on the operation and maintenance of rooftop solar power has been developed and will be considered for inclusion in the training program at vocational colleges, contributing to improving the quality of human resources for the renewable energy industry.
In addition, the CIRTS Project supports the recovery of the rooftop solar market through technical and legal advice on rooftop solar development policies. This activity is promoted through coordination with other development partners and is further considered to be promoted within the framework of supporting the development of a Resource Mobilization Plan to implement the contents of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).
Strengthening sustainable energy cooperation
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Solar panels of a rooftop solar power system at a training facility in Ninh Thuan. (Illustration photo: GIZ) |
The results of the CIRTS project are evidence that the technical cooperation between Vietnam and Germany has made a positive contribution to the energy transition in Vietnam, towards a sustainable energy future.
Based on the success of the CIRTS project, in the coming time, with the support of Germany and development partners, Vietnam will continue to promote technical, management and policy solutions to expand the rooftop solar power market according to the Power Plan VIII, in order to build a clean energy platform, actively contribute to the goal of reducing emissions and strengthening Vietnam's position in the field of renewable energy.
Affirming that Germany is one of Vietnam's most strategic and trustworthy partners, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long expressed his belief that in the coming years, the cooperative relationship between the two sides will continue to develop strongly. He pledged that Vietnam will make every effort to maintain and strengthen this cooperative relationship.
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Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long. (Photo: TRUNG HUNG) |
Meanwhile, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Vietnam, Ms. Helga Barth, affirmed that the potential for developing rooftop solar power in Vietnam is huge. Cooperation between the two countries has been laying a solid foundation for the strategy of reducing carbon emissions and building a clean energy system in Vietnam.
Mr. Philipp Munzinger - Director of the GIZ Energy Support Program (ESP) said that currently, globally, rooftop solar power accounts for about 1/3 of the total installed solar power capacity. Meanwhile, Vietnam still has a lot of potential and room to develop rooftop solar power, because in fact, rooftop solar power has only reached less than 1% of the total number of rooftops.
However, Mr. Philipp Munzinger also recommended that the development of the rooftop solar market should go hand in hand with strengthening supervision and improving the flexibility of the power system to ensure the stability and security of the power system. At the same time, it is necessary to balance rooftop solar and large-scale solar farms to ensure macroeconomic efficiency.
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Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Vietnam, Ms. Helga Barth. (Photo: GIZ) |
Also sharing the above view, Ms. Helga Barth said that the increasing proportion of renewable energy must go hand in hand with the development of smart grids and energy storage solutions.
According to the German Ambassador, as a long-standing partner, having cooperated with Vietnam for more than 15 years in the field of renewable energy, Germany will continue to cooperate closely with Vietnam to address challenges in the energy transition, such as grid integration, sustainable financial mechanisms, and building a circular economy for solar power equipment.