SolarBK sets Vietnam on greener track

SolarBK's successes surprised the world community by their scale and reliability

According to SolarBK’s report, among the installed 1.2MWp of solar photovoltaic rooftop systems, the industrial sector accounts for 95 per cent, while the remainder belongs to households.

“The percentage of households with a solar PV system is quite modest. However, it is a good signal as rooftop solar panels have never been more affordable for homeowners and they are more aware of using solar energy, especially since Decision No.11/2017/QD-TTg on mechanisms for encouraging the development of solar power, with an approved feed in tariff rate of 9.35 UScents, was issued,” said a representative of SolarBK.

“We are striving to reach 3MWp installed by the end of this year,” he added.

Vietnam’s potential for solar power generation is great, with 1,600-2,700 sunlight hours per year and an average direct normal irradiance of four-to-five kilowatt-hours (kWh) per square metre, comparable to Thailand, the Philippines, Spain, and Italy.

However, the solar photovoltaic market in Vietnam is still in its early stages, with approximately six-to-seven MW of solar PV capacity currently installed. Its projected potential, in the best scenario, might be 2-5 GW for residential and commercial rooftops, and 20GW for solar PV plants.

Recently, Solar ESCO JSC, a member of Vietnamese renewable energy firm SolarBK, and Tan Cang-Song Than ICD signed a contract to lease a 500.96 KWp solar system to ICD Song Than Logistics Centre in the southern province of Binh Duong.

Under the agreement, Solar ESCO JSC would invest in the solar power system installed by SolarBK at Tan Cang-Song Than ICD.

SolarBK is the first Vietnamese organisation to win the Energy Globe Award twice in a row, each time with projects that apply clean energy solutions to improve the living conditions and environment in the Spratly Islands (locally known as Truong Sa). The company has shown its capability over the course of a decade implementing large-scale projects on the islands.

SolarBK scoops second Energy Globe Award for energy and water solutions In addition to its “Light up the Spratly Islands” project, Vietnamese renewable energy firm SolarBK, in 2009, installed a hybrid power supply system using both wind and solar energy with a capacity of 824kWh per day.