AESI Urges The Government To Immediately Inaugurate The Revision Of The Rooftop PLTS Candy

Chairman of the Indonesian Solar Energy Association (AESI) Fabby Tumiwa. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Solar Energy Association (AESI) Fabby Tumiwa urged the government to immediately inaugurate the revision of the Ministerial Regulation (Permen) of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) No. 26/2021 which has gone through the harmonization process.

According to him, this can provide certainty for consumers who want to install a Rooftop PLTS.

"Revision of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 26/2021, although in AESI's view it is not ideal, it is a win-win solution for PLN and business actors PLTS Roofs and consumers in the current overcapacity of electricity. This fact must be accepted by all parties, with the hope that the situation in the future will improve and the Roof PLTS can still grow," said Fabby Tumiwa, quoted on Monday, September 11.

It is known, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources since early 2023 has started the revision process of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No.26/2021 (about the Roof PLTS Connected to the IUPTL Holder Electricity Network for Public Interest) in response to the problem of installing roof PLTS that occurred from 2022 to date.

He added, based on information from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the substance of the change in the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources No.26/2012 is the absence of a maximum 100 percent installed roof PLTS capacity limit but based on system quotas, the elimination of excess electricity exports, the elimination of capacity costs for industrial customers (previously 5 hours), the time for submitting installation of roof PLTS which is limited 2 times a year, and the existence of transitional provisions for existing customers that have installed roof PLTS before the revision is issued.

Since being promulgated in August 2021 and officially socialized in 2022, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources 26/2021 on paper has various clauses of support for the utilization of roof PLTS, which is not running effectively as expected by AESI.

"Since early 2022, PT PLN has imposed a 10-15 percent limit on the installed power of customers, the licensing process is complicated and less transparent. This situation contributes to the failure to achieve the target of an additional 450 MWp of PLTS capacity in 2022 by the government," continued Fabby.

Meanwhile, since the government announced the revision of candy, he said, many potential PLTS roof customers from various sectors have tended to wait (wait and see) so that the increase in the number of customers and installed capacity of roof PLTS until the middle of 2023 is still lower than in previous years.

AESI urges that the revision of this regulation, which is currently still stuck at the President's desk, be ratified immediately, thus providing certainty for consumers and business actors who are currently still waiting and seeing. This certainty will also make the Rooftop PLTS system installed in various commercial and industrial buildings since last year, which is estimated to have reached 200-300 MWp, can be connected immediately," continued Fabby.

AESI realizes that although the elimination of excess electricity exports will reduce the economy of the roof PLTS, especially for small household customers, whose peak load tends at night, but certainty and guarantees that the ease of installation procedures are actually an important factor for the early-added group, namely the adoption of technology that is not very sensitive to the economy.

The household group R2 (3500 -5500VA) and above is a potential earner of this.

Fabby continued, based on a market survey conducted by the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) in 7 provinces in Indonesia in 2019-2021, there were 2 household persebs that were included in the early adapters category, and early followers (who would follow if there were examples and the economy improved) in the range of 11 percent perseb to 19 percent.

According to him, the early adapters group has the financial ability to install Rooftop PLTS and is not too affected by export restrictions.

The ratification of the revision of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No.26/2021 will strengthen the decision making of early adapters and early followers, including opening up options for using an energy storage system (battery) to optimize solar electricity production that cannot be exported for use at night.

"The choice of a system with this battery has started to be in great demand and with more users, it is hoped that the price of the roof PLTS system with batteries will also be more attractive," concluded Fabby.