The ministry is urging local support for rooftop solar. Homeowners should assess self-consumption, bill savings and support eligibility before choosing system capacity.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue urging local authorities to introduce support policies for rooftop solar, according to VnExpress's report on the government press conference on October 3. Deputy Minister Truong Thanh Hoai said electricity demand is growing by around 10% annually, while generation and grid projects take considerable time to develop. Rooftop solar offers faster installation, requires no land clearance and helps ease pressure on transmission infrastructure. EVN figures cited in the article put current nationwide rooftop solar capacity at approximately 11,000 MWp.
The article says Directive 10 encourages rooftop solar for self-generation and self-consumption, together with battery storage, targeting installation and use by around 10% of public offices and 10% of households. Some provinces have already adopted support policies; the ministry has asked local authorities to implement measures within their powers. This signals an effort to encourage deployment, but does not mean every homeowner qualifies for the same financial assistance.
For Vietnamese households, the first value to assess is solar electricity consumed directly at home, reducing electricity purchased from the grid and therefore the bill. Two homes with similar roof areas can achieve different savings: a household running air conditioning or other appliances during the day may use more solar electricity directly than one consuming most of its electricity in the evening. A larger system does not automatically deliver better financial returns if the additional electricity goes unused.
Before deciding to install, homeowners should gather their latest 12 months of electricity bills, record when major appliances operate and check the roof for shading. Ask the installer to recommend a suitable capacity and estimate generation, self-consumption and bill savings under the tariff applicable to the household. Compare projected savings with total installation and maintenance costs; do not assume income from selling surplus electricity until the applicable conditions are clear.
For households with substantial evening consumption, battery storage can be an optional addition supporting rooftop solar, shifting some surplus daytime generation to when it is needed. Consider it only after assessing direct self-consumption, battery costs and storage losses. Not every household needs a battery to reduce its bill.
A concrete next step is to ask the responsible local authority about adopted support policies, eligibility and application procedures, while obtaining a quotation based on actual electricity-use patterns. Local support may improve the investment calculation, but the installation decision should still rest on the savings achievable in that particular home.
