Solar Energy in Thailand

Harnessing the sun’s rays to provide renewable power is nothing new, but the adoption of such technology is spreading rapidly across the world. And Thailand is no different, the government has recently announced that the target for 2036 is 6,000 MW of installed photovoltaic capacity. Already Thailand is advanced in this field, and today Thailand has more solar power than the rest of Southeast Asia combined.

If you are interested in learning more about solar power and how it could benefit you and your household bills, then contact the experts at Kunini who will give sound and responsible advice. Kunini have been designing and installing domestic solar power systems in Thailand for many years and have vast experience in this field.

The Future of Thailand’s Solar Power

When 2018 arrived, Thailand had seven years to reflect upon its solar power industry, mostly with pride due to its successes. Eight years previously Thailand was proud of the fact that domestic and industrial solar panels were first being installed.

But in 2017 this fledgling industry had grown and come of age, Thailand now had a total of 3 GW of solar installations and this dwarfed the amount of neighbouring countries. Accounting for 60% of solar power in the ASEAN region.

And it does not look as though Thailand is relaxing in its solar energy roadmap of development. The energy blueprint includes oil, gas as part of the Energy Efficiency Plan together with three other objectives including the Alternative Energy Development Plan, the Power Development Plan and the Smart Grid Plan.

The Thai Ministry of Energy has also included Renewable Energy in this grand Energy Plan, and has shown new plans for future developments and further expansion.

The IRENA Report

The International Renewable Energy Agency published a report in 2017 declaring that renewable energy should increase from the current level of 12% up to 37%. If this plan is put into effect in Thailand it would mean that solar power alone would reach 17 GW rather than the 6 GW that is projected.

This new target is achievable when you take into account the decreasing cost of panels and the technology driving the industry. Plus you have to consider the amount of sun hours that Thailand benefits from. The solar radiation in Thailand averages 5 kWh/m2/year which is well above the world norm.

The Seven Business Opportunities for Solar Power in Thailand

Thailand has recently announced over the past few months that there are more than ever business opportunities in solar energy within the Kingdom, and these include:

• New Solar Tenders – There is to be new procedures for tenders for new solar farms.
• No Bidding Process – These are solar farms to be developed with no formal tender process.
• Acquisition of Existing Solar Farms – To buy existing solar farms to increase capacity and drive more profits.
• The Utilization of Own Rooftops – For domestic and industrial solar usages.
• Solar Rooftop Investments – Domestic and hopefully foreign investors can cooperate with industrial and commercial rooftop owners.
• Floating Solar Farms – The development of floating solar farms (floatovoltaics) will become a growth area.
• Internet of Energy – IOE means the implementation of Internet of Things which can be utilized with distributed energy systems to optimize their efficiency.

As things stand the solar energy industry in Thailand looks as though it is going from strength to strength and is definitely an area to invest and take advantage of.