Trirat urges focused solar subsidies and Net Metering shift

Matichon•Economy•18d ago

Reader Briefing

Trirat Sirichantaro-phas proposes targeted solar rooftop subsidies and a transition to Net Metering to reduce investment payback periods.

•Trirat Sirichantaro-phas suggests the government target the 50,000 baht solar rooftop subsidy at low and middle-income groups.
•Trirat Sirichantaro-phas warns that the government must mandate installer registration and training to prevent fires caused by substandard installations.
•Trirat Sirichantaro-phas argues that Net Metering would reduce the investment payback period for a 5 kW system from 11.3 years to just over 5 years.

Overview

•The government plans to use 200 billion baht from a 400 billion baht loan decree as grants of 50,000 baht per household for solar rooftop installations.
•Trirat Sirichantaro-phas suggests the government define income brackets for recipients, prioritizing low-income and middle-income groups who lack funding.
•A 5 kW solar system costs approximately 150,000 baht, producing about 500 units per month and saving up to 2,000 baht in electricity costs.
•Trirat Sirichantaro-phas warns that fires have been caused by substandard installers' wiring and system connections rather than the solar panels themselves.
•Trirat Sirichantaro-phas proposes that the government require all installers to be registered and trained according to electricity authority standards.
•Trirat Sirichantaro-phas argues Net Billing is inefficient because the 2.2 baht per unit buy-back rate leads to a long payback period of 11.3 years for a 5 kW system.
•Trirat Sirichantaro-phas advocates for Net Metering, a global standard used in the USA, Australia, Canada, Japan, and Europe.
•Transitioning to Net Metering would allow residential rooftops to act as power plants, reducing the government's need for large power plant investments and reliance on foreign natural gas.

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Source: Matichon (Original)

Key Quotes

Trirat Sirichantaro-phas

"We should have a system to inspect solar cell installers because currently, the solar cell systems and equipment are not the problem, but there are many substandard installers."

เราควรจะมีระบบที่จะมาตรวจผู้ติดตั้งโซลาร์เซลล์ เพราะตอนนี้ระบบและอุปกรณ์โซลาร์เซลล์ไม่ได้มีปัญหา แต่เกิดจากผู้ติดตั้งไม่ได้มาตรฐานเยอะมาก

Trirat Sirichantaro-phas

"What the government should do is not Net billing but Net Metering, because it will make the buy-back price of electricity from solar homes equal to the selling price."

สิ่งที่รัฐบาลควรต้องทำคือไม่ใช่ Net billing แต่คือNet Metering เพราะจะทำให้ราคารับซื้อไฟจากบ้านที่ติดโซลาร์กับราคาขายควรเป็นราคาเท่ากัน

Key Entities

Person

Trirat Sirichantaro-phas(ตรีรัตน์ ศิริจันทโรภาส)

CEO of New Energy Plus Solutions Co., Ltd. and an expert advisor to the Energy Committee.

Organization

New Energy Plus Solutions Co., Ltd.(บริษัท นิว เอ็นเนอร์จี พลัส โซลูชั่นส์ จำกัด)

The company where Trirat Sirichantaro-phas serves as CEO.

Energy Committee(คณะกรรมาธิการการพลังงาน)

The committee where Trirat Sirichantaro-phas serves as an expert advisor.

Law

400 Billion Baht Loan Decree(พ.ร.ก.เงินกู้ 4 แสนล้านบาท)

The emergency decree from which the government intends to use 200 billion baht for solar rooftop subsidies.

Policy

Net Meteringℹ️

An international electricity billing standard proposed by Trirat Sirichantaro-phas to replace Net Billing.

Net Billing

The current system of selling excess solar electricity back to the state which Trirat Sirichantaro-phas argues is inefficient.