National Energy Policy Committee approves expansion of public solar scheme to 10,000 megawatts, buying surplus power at 2.20 baht for 20 years

ComEd and Chicago-based solar developer SunVest have energized a nearly eight-megawatt community solar array sited at the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport, adjacent to the airfield. Sixty percent of the subscription capacity is dedicated to low-to-moderate income customers, with average customer savings of more than $300 per year, or nearly $11,000 over the 35-year lifetime of the project, while savings across all subscribers amount to $246,000 annually, or $8.61 million over the next three decades. The project generates $91,000 in site rent and $36,000 in property taxes to DeKalb County each year, with the vast majority of the property taxes dedicated to local schools under state law, and it helps fulfill the Illinois Power Agency's goal to construct community solar facilities on municipal lands. ComEd President and CEO Gil Quiniones said community solar projects like this one are a quick way to bring down costs by bringing more power onto the grid, and SunVest Solar CEO Bram Walters said the project saves lower-income residents on their power bills while providing new revenue for the community. Aided by state policy, solar has more than tripled in ComEd's northern Illinois service territory since the Clean Energy and Jobs Act took effect in late 2021, with 2.0 gigawatts of distributed energy resources now connected to ComEd's grid, including 85,000 solar and battery storage systems, and more than 280 community sites serving over 53,000 residential customers; ComEd anticipates having 420 community solar sites energized by the end of 2026, including 16 systems by SunVest.

PTT, together with the Royal Thai Air Force, is driving forward the installation of solar power generation systems across 3 projects. These comprise floating solar power generation systems at the Air Operations Control Command and the 3rd Air Force Armament Factory of the Air Force Armament Department, and rooftop solar power generation systems at the Navaminda Kasatriyadhiraj Royal Air Force Academy within the Air Operations Control Command area of the Royal Thai Air Force. The projects operate under 25-year power purchase agreements. They help reduce the Royal Thai Air Force's utility expenses by approximately 52 million baht over the life of the projects and help cut greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 40,280 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Air Chief Marshal Wisut Somphakdee, Chairman of the Royal Thai Air Force Renewable Energy Committee, and Dr. Buranin Rattanasombat, Chief Operating Officer of the New Business and Sustainability Group at PTT Public Company Limited, jointly presided over the project opening ceremony. The initiative supports the use of environmentally friendly energy and drives Thailand's greenhouse gas reduction and Net Zero goals over the long term.

The government has finalised a state solar power scheme to support the installation of solar power generation systems for the public, covering a maximum target of 1,500,000 households with a total budget of 75 billion baht. Pol. Lt. Col. Pluphir Suwanchavi, Deputy Minister of Interior, disclosed that the project is divided into a first phase supporting 1,000,000 people with a budget of 50 billion baht, and a second phase covering another 500,000 people with a budget of 25 billion baht. The government will support installation at a rate of 50,000 baht per person, and holders of state welfare cards can take part. As for installation specifications, the maximum installed capacity is set at 10 kilowatts, with surplus electricity purchased back at 5 kilowatts at a price of 2.20 baht per unit under a 20-year contract. The criteria have also been adjusted from the previous limit of rooftop-only installations to cover ground-mounted and floating solar installations, provided there is an electricity meter in the area. For financing, the government will issue loans through three state banks: the Government Housing Bank, the Government Savings Bank, and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, with interest of 2.5% per year and a repayment period of about 7 years. Registration is set to open on November 1. A letter proposing amendments from the Ministry of Interior is currently being forwarded to the screening committee and the subcommittee tasked with verifying the completeness of the project details.