Govt Introduces SolaRIS Scheme To Encourage Solar Panel Installation, Offers Up To RM4,000 Rebate

The government has said that it will introduce a new initiative by the name of Solar for Rakyat Incentive Scheme (SolaRIS), which seeks to encourage domestic users to install solar photovoltaic (solar PV) panels at home. Set to take effect from 1 April 2024, a rebate of RM1,000/kWac (kilowatt alternating current) will be given to participating individuals via the SolaRIS initiative, up to a maximum of RM4,000. It is open only to those who are applying for the New Energy Metering (NEM) programme for the first time, with claims limited to one for each Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) accountholder. To note, NEM here refers to a programme where Malaysians can install solar PVs at home so that they can produce their own energy to use. Excess energy generated can also be exported to TNB for some profit. Malaysia is currently on the third iteration of the programme, called NEM 3.0, which has been running since 2021 and will continue until the end of 2024 or when the quota allocated for the programme runs out. Minister of Energy Transition & Water Transformation (PETRA), Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah Yusof – who is also the Deputy Prime Minister – further explained that the rebate payments under SolaRIS will only be made after the installation and operation of the solar PV systems. “The rebate will be provided based on a first-come first-served basis for NEM quotas applied from 1 April to 31 December 2024. Approved applicants must have their solar PV systems operational no later than 31 March next year, or until all the SolaRIS rebate quotas are distributed, whichever comes first,” said Dato’ Sri Fadillah, adding that the payments will be made under the name of the bill holder, to be deposited into their local bank account. Aside from that, Dato’ Sri Fadillah also revealed that the government has approved an additional quota of 100MW (megawatt) to the NEM programme. This brings the total allocated quota up from 250MW to 350MW (under the sub-category NEM Rakyat programme), thereby allowing more Malaysians to tap into the SolaRIS initiative. “The installation of solar PV systems on residential premises will also allow the roof space of buildings to be utilised for renewable energy generation,” the minister further reminded. If you’re interested in installing solar panels at home, be sure to apply to the NEM 3.0 programme under the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) for quotas for the installation via the SolaRIS initiative.

by Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Apr 11, 2024

Net Energy Metering (NEM) 3.0

The Government has introduced the Net Energy Metering Scheme in November 2016 with a quota allocation of 500 MW up to the year 2020 to encourage Malaysia’s Renewable Energy (RE) uptake. The concept of NEM is that the energy produced from the solar PV installation will be consumed first, and any excess will be exported to TNB at the prevailing displaced cost. To encourage NEM uptake, the NEM 2.0 was introduced on 1st January 2019, and the true net energy metering concept was adopted, allowing excess solar PV generated energy to be exported back to the grid on a “one-on-one” offset basis. The NEM scheme was executed by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (KeTSA), regulated by the Energy Commission (EC), with Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) Malaysia as the Implementing Agency (IA). The 500MW quota under the NEM 2.0 has been fully subscribed by 31st December 2020. Due to the overwhelming response from the PV industry and to boost the usage of Solar energy, the Energy and Natural Resources Minister, via a press statement by KeTSA on 29th December 2020, has introduced the new Net Energy Metering 3.0 programme (NEM 3.0) to provide more opportunities to electricity consumers to install solar PV systems on the roofs of their premises to save on their electricity bill. According to the media statement released by the YAB Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) on 26th January 2024, the NEM 3.0 program will continue with an additional quota offer of 100MW for NEM Rakyat and 300MW for NOVA. The NEM 3.0 quota offer period will run until December 2024 or until all quotas are allocated, whichever comes first. The NEM 3.0 will be in effect from 2021 to 2024, and the total quota allocation is up to 1550 MW. The NEM 3.0 will be divided into the following three (3) new initiatives/categories: - The NEM Rakyat Programme has a quota of 350 MW, running from 1st February 2021 to 31st December 2024. - The NEM GoMEn Programme, for government ministries and entities, is allocated 100 MW, available from 1st February 2021 to 31st December 2024. - The NOVA Programme (Net Offset Virtual Aggregation) offers a quota of 1100 MW, from 1st April 2021 to 31st December 2024.

by NEM Program by SEDA

Jul 11, 2023