Solar power in Thailand

Solar potential[1]

Solar power in Thailand is targeted to reach 6,000 MW by 2036.[2] In 2013 installed photovoltaic capacity nearly doubled and reached 704 MW by the end of the year.[3] At the end of 2015, with a total capacity of 2,500-2,800 MW, Thailand has more solar power capacity than all the rest of Southeast Asia combined.[2]

Thailand has great solar potential, especially the southern and northern parts of the northeastern region of Udon Thani Province and certain areas in the central region. Around 14.3% of the country has a daily solar exposure of around 19–20 MJ/m2/day, while another 50% of the country gains around 18–19 MJ/m2/day. In terms of solar potential, Thailand lags behind the US, but is ahead of Japan.[4]

The 84 MW Lopburi Solar Farm was completed in May 2013. German solar energy company Conergy signed a contract with Thailand's Siam Solar Energy to construct three solar plants of 10.5 MW each in addition to existing two solar plants that have been under construction since autumn 2012.[5]

Thailand's new power purchase scheme

In January 2015, Thailand's Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) announced a new regulation for the purchase of electricity from ground-mounted solar projects, replacing the "adder" scheme with the "feed-in-tariff" (FiT) scheme. The regulation aims to revive the investment in renewable energy projects in Thailand after a quiet period in the renewable energy sector in 2014. There are over one hundred projects, with a total capacity of 1,000 MW, whose applications have not yet been accepted under the adder scheme and therefore are eligible for the feed-in-tariff scheme.[6]

Statistics

Daily insolation in Bangkok with an average of 5.04 hours of sun per day.[7]

Photovoltaics - Deployment
Year Cumulative
Capacity (MWp)		 Annual
Installations (MWp)
  On-grid Off-grid Total On-grid Off-grid Total
2005 1.77 22.11 23.88 0.01 13.04 13.05
2006 1.86 28.66 30.52 0.09 6.55 6.64
2007 3.61 28.90 32.51 1.74 0.24 1.98
2008 4.06 29.34 33.39 0.45 0.44 0.89
2009 13.67 29.49 43.17 9.62 0.16 9.77
2010 19.57 29.65 49.22 5.89 0.16 6.05
2011 212.80 29.88 242.68 193.23 0.23 193.46
2012 357.38 30.19 387.57 144.89 0.15 145.04
2013 794.07 29.73 823.80 436.69 1-0.45 436.24
2014 1.268.77 229.73 1.298.51 474.71 20 2474.71
Source: IEA-PVPS, Annual Report 2014 (AR2014)[8]
Notes:
1 negative figure due to decommissioned off-grid systems in 2013
2 preliminary data for off-grid installations, none expected for 2014
250
500
750
1,000
1,250
1,500
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
Cumulative Capacity – Total installed PV capacity in megawatts since 2005
100
200
300
400
500
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
Annual Installations – Annually installed PV capacity in megawatts since 2005

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Global Horizontal Irradiation (GHI): Thailand". solargis. Retrieved 5 Mar 2015.
  2. 1 2 Jittapong, Khettiya (2015-07-12). "Thailand ignites solar power investment in Southeast Asia". Reuters. Reuters UK. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
  3. ↑ "Snapshot of Global PV 1992-2013" (PDF). 2nd Edition ISBN 978-3-906042-19-0. International Energy Agency - Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme. 2014. p. 8. Archived from the original on 5 April 2014.
  4. ↑ "Areas with solar power potential". Thailand Ministry of Energy, Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency. Retrieved 5 Mar 2015.
  5. ↑ "Thailand turns to solar power". Investvine.com. 2013-02-25. Retrieved 2013-02-25.
  6. ↑ "Solar power in Thailand: new power purchase scheme creates investment opportunities". www.nortonrosefulbright.com. Retrieved 2015-09-23.
  7. ↑ "PV Watts". US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 9 Jul 2012.
  8. ↑ IEA-PVPS, Annual Report 2014 (AR2014), p. 103, 21 May 2015
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