Looking for Funding Schemes and Readiness of Solar PV Project Development

Workshop Financing Solar Energy - Indonesia Solar Summit

Jakarta, 20 April 2022– The issue of financing is still one of the big obstacles in developing renewable energy such as rooftop solar power plants in Indonesia. There is a large gap between the government’s agenda to accelerate solar penetration and access to funding for both developer and household projects. Difficult access to funding can also be a challenge for the development of solar energy in Indonesia.

Enthusiasm to develop solar energy is growing rapidly in Indonesia. At the Indonesia Solar Summit 2022, at least 31 parties are committed to installing solar PV with a capacity of up to 2,300 MW. The availability of cheap financing mechanisms can support the achievement of these commitments.

Elvi Nasution, Director of Solutions Initiatives, explained that there is one financing scheme that is not widely available, namely project financing. Project financing is limited financing of a new project that will be carried out through the establishment of a new company (separate from the existing company). The project finance provider can be a bank or a special financial institution (special mission vehicle).

“Compared to Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, project financing in Indonesia is relatively expensive. The contributing factors include government guarantees, the amount of debt, and the structure of the electricity business which is currently monopolized by PLN, so developers often encounter difficulties because there is only one offtaker in Indonesia,” explained Elvi.

Jagjeet Shareen, Assistant Director of General International Solar Alliance, in the same forum saw the importance of the role of financial institutions such as banks to participate in accelerating solar penetration.

“Providing training to bank employees is important to make them understand the character of solar business and calculate the financing risk for it. The cost of installing solar PV  may still be relatively expensive, but it’s actually not that expensive because the cost of solar continues to decline,” he said.

Jagjeet shared India’s experience in providing massive training to bank employees which had a significant impact because the bank then became more familiar with PV rooftop projects, their risks and development opportunities.

Both Elvi and Jagjeet agreed that in order to accelerate the penetration of PV rooftop, synergies from various parties, such as financial institutions, need to study the financing structure based on the conditions and potential in each location.

PLN as the single offtaker in Indonesia also needs to transform its business model so that it is relevant to the current situation and in the future where renewable energy will have a larger portion. Especially for solar development, PLN needs to make regular auction plans and finalize the development plan (pipeline). Good and clear project planning will increase the confidence of investors and financial institutions to fund a PV rooftop project for instance.

Prospective users of rooftop solar power plants are more or less aware of the situation of developing solar energy in Indonesia, which still needs a lot of improvement. Erwin Kasim, one of the participants of the Financing Solar Energy Indonesia Solar Summit 2022 workshop, asked about the minimum subsidy for initial installation costs for households who want to install rooftop PV and what schemes can be considered to relieve potential PV rooftop customers.

The bank, as the party that is expected to provide a solution to this initial cost problem, emphasizes the government’s role in making policies that are friendly to all parties in the development of this rooftop solar power plant.

“The use of solar requires government intervention to create financing schemes, protect banks from repayment failures, and incentives for customers,” said a representative of Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) who attended the same forum.

The government’s role in issuing a customer-friendly rooftop PV  financing policy is highly expected. Because at this time, financing through the bank occurs because of a business-to-business agreement between the developer and the bank without any special policy from the government that regulates the financing of rooftop solar power plants by the bank.

Central Java Provincial Government Boosts Utilization of Rooftop PLTS in Local Government Environments

JAKARTA – Located in the Equator area with the sun shining almost all year round, the utilization of solar energy in Indonesia is not very encouraging. Having solar energy potential of up to 3 – 20 GW, Indonesia has only utilized about 400 MW of solar energy based on land suitability. At the same time, the Government of Indonesia is racing against time to increase its renewable energy mix to achieve the target of 23% renewable energy in the national energy mix by 2025.

Several steps to fulfill the renewable energy mix target of 23% by 2025 have been carried out, such as Regulation No. 26 of 2021 concerning Rooftop Solar Power Plants (PLTS) issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM). This regulation emphasizes that rooftop solar power plants can be a strategy for increasing the national energy mix. Local governments have a strategic role in accelerating renewable energy by making strategic policies to develop renewable energy in their regions. As the first solar province in Indonesia, Central Java recorded a renewable energy mix of 13.38% in 2021. The Central Java provincial government also encourages the expansion of rooftop solar power plants (PLTS) within the local government as a commitment from the Central Java Solar Province initiative, cooperation between the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources Central Java and IESR.

In his remarks by the Director-General of Bina Bangda, Ministry of Home Affairs, Teguh Setyabudi, delivered by the Director of SUPD I, Ministry of Home Affairs, Edison Siagian, said regional development is part of national development. Specifically, regional energy transition policies are also the authority of local governments in setting standards and achievements targets. However, until now, the provincial government’s authority is still very limited, and the steps in developing renewable energy are also limited.

“The Central Java Provincial Government’s steps in continuing to develop programs and activities should be appreciated. Especially in the limited authority possessed by the provincial government, Central Java has involved elements of the regional secretary who have the function of coordinating, overseeing the implementation, and reducing the role of energy conservation across various OPDs to continue to innovate,” he said in the ‘Implementation of Rooftop Solar Power Plants in Local Government Environments’ on April 13, 2022, which was organized by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) in collaboration with the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR).

Various resource persons were also presented to see how local government learning can participate in the implementation of renewable energy. Ir. Tedjo Prabowo, a representative of the Bappeda of the Central Java Provincial Government, revealed that the provincial government’s commitment had been stated in the 2018 to 2050 Regional Regulation RUED with a target of a new renewable energy mix 2025 is expected to reach 21.32%. “The challenge in achieving the EBT target is still the same, namely easier access to fossil energy. And as stated by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the regional authority in the administration of government affairs in the energy and mineral resources sector is still limited. However, the commitment to realizing energy sovereignty will continue to be supported by all sectors, including the Environment, Private and Community Services,” he said.

Marlistya Citraningrum, Manager of Access to Sustainable Energy at IESR, also said that through the RUED, a circular letter from the governor of Central Java and a circular letter from the regional secretary was issued to implement independently in the Regent’s office or DPRD for the development of PLTS in the social and productive sectors for green economic recovery. “Although there are challenges in the limited government budget, innovation is needed using various financing schemes such as leasing, ESCO, and third party financing (installment schemes). In line with this, the priority of development in their respective regions and the understanding of policymakers within the local government regarding rooftop solar power plants must be improved, “said Citra.

 

The use of solar energy mentioned by Citra regarding its application to rooftop PV mini-grid was also mentioned by Hevearita Rahayu, Deputy Mayor of Semarang. He has also started the first step as a commitment to new and renewable energy in the city of Semarang. “In 2019, through Bappeda, the Semarang City Government has conducted a study on the potential for RE development and became Perda No. 6 of 2022, which later became the vision of the RPJMD for 2021-2026. In 2020 there will also be a grant process from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, at which time we will also construct a new parking building to place 75kWp Solar PV. The result is savings in electricity bills of up to nearly 60 percent. The submission of grants by MEMR will also continue in 2021 to implement the RPJMN 2021-2026 priority program instructions. In the 2022 RPJMD, Semarang is currently compiling a feasibility study for solar panels to be built at city halls, offices, and schools. The target for 2023-2026 will be to carry out physical development in stages in all Semarang government offices,” he said.

 

The Head of the Central Java ESDM Office, Sujarwanto, also gave his opinion on energy policy and a joint commitment. “There needs to be enthusiasm to reduce the rate of CO2 emissions or build without excess carbon emissions. Central Java has had a commitment to the Regional Action Plan for Greenhouse Gas Control since five years ago. Therefore, government institutions must be examples of low carbon development. Together with a stronger commitment to the global, Indonesia is committed to the energy sector. Many districts/cities have budgeted for this program. This year there will be a budget refocusing. It is hoped that the regional budget will prioritize solar energy this year because the control of Covid-19 has improved. The Department of Energy and Mineral Resources is ready to provide assistance starting from choosing technology, managing energy in the office, and a consultation room with IESR,” he said.

Support for the application of rooftop solar power plants must continue as well as information on policies and implementation in Central Java Province will always be echoed. So that if all parties can collaborate well, then the implementation of the energy transition, which is the national development mandate, will be able to be implemented and benefit the people of Central Java. Furthermore, Central Java has contributed significantly to achieving the national renewable energy target.

Financier’s Club: Financing Solar Energy in Indonesia – Discusses Solar Energy Financing Issues in Energy Transition

Jakarta, 18 March 2022– The financing of energy transition in Indonesia, especially in the Solar PV Power Plant, needs to be mobilized immediately. The technical potential of solar energy in Indonesia is enormous. Based on a study from the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), the potential of solar energy in Indonesia is up to 20,000 GWp waiting to be harvested so that it can achieve a carbon-neutral target in 2060 or sooner, according to the government’s commitment. Financial institutions can capture various Solar PV Power Plant financing opportunities by identifying investments and risks. Identification of investments and stakes in Solar PV Power Plant financing, the obstacles financial institutions face in providing Solar PV Power Plant financing schemes, and innovative financing practices are discussed in the Financier’s Club: Financing Solar Energy in Indonesia. This activity was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources with IESR as a pre-event for the Indonesia Solar Summit (ISS) held in Jakarta.  

Opening the discussion, Sahid Djunaidi, Secretary-General of the Directorate General of Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (DG EBTKE), emphasized that the emission reduction target can only be achieved if the country makes an energy transition as a fundamental step. The vast potential and short construction period make solar energy a mainstay in providing renewable energy in Indonesia. Several banks have provided financing schemes for rooftop solar power plants, but financing innovation is still needed to encourage more massive rooftop solar power plants. Currently, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), in collaboration with UNDP, is conducting an incentive grant program for rooftop solar PV to support the development of rooftop solar PV in Indonesia.

“The challenge in developing solar power plants is in the financial sector because of the high risk, not many markets, and the lack of financing guarantees,” he said.

Coordination in policymaking and cooperation between parties is essential to achieving sustainable finance and climate targets. This was stated by Agus Edy Siregar, Deputy Commissioner for Financial System Stability of the Financial Services Authority (OJK). 

“The climate change mitigation agenda requires large funds and cannot be met only from the state budget, but also requires financing from the financial sector,” he added.

Edy said that OJK had compiled several documents on investment in several sustainable sectors, including a green taxonomy, carbon market preparation, and banking reporting related to the financed sector. It is hoped that there will be incentives and disincentive mechanisms in the finance and financing sector.

In addition, Enrico Hariantoro, Head of the OJK Integrated Financial Services Sector Policy Group, said that OJK has been supporting banking instrumentation for a long time to support sustainability financing (POJK 51/2017 POJK 60/2017). According to him, there are several risk aspects that banks are very concerned about, including technical understanding, how to guard the ecosystem, and the payback period. Furthermore, he argues that financing schemes for Solar PV Power Plant could be more varied and innovative, for example, combining elements from facilities, philanthropy, technical, and becoming one with KPR so that it is included in customers’ comfort level bankability of financial providers. OJK always encourages the acceleration of Solar PV Power Plant financing through regulation, of course, by considering the feasibility study (FS).

On the other hand, Adi Budiarso, Head of the Financial Sector Policy Center (PKSK) Fiscal Policy Agency (BKF), said that there is an Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) to answer the challenges of the energy transition with the primary goal of shortening the economic life of the PLTU Clean Energy Facility (CEF), get additional greenhouse gas emission reductions by building a renewable energy Carbon Recycling Fund (CRF) to achieve Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and gain access to cheaper funding. 

BKF has implemented tax incentives for investments such as tax holidays, tax allowances, PPh DTP, VAT exemptions, import duty exemptions, tax and customs facilities, and exemptions from collecting PPh 22. According to Adi, the Indonesian financial system is ready to implement sustainable finance, supported by green taxonomy. In addition, BKF has conducted mapping with nine universities, associations, and stakeholders. Adi said that Regional Banks had the opportunity to help accelerate the Solar PV Power Plant development. Renewable energy has the potential to create electricity supply independently. The existence of BPR, the regional company, can be one of the doors for the entry of Solar PV Power Plant financing.

Edwin Syahruzad, President Director of PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (SMI), who was present on the same occasion, informed the participants that PT SMI has taken strategic steps in financing Solar PV Power Plant. In addition, PT SMI has provided financing for all types of renewable energy, such as hydroelectric power, geothermal power plants, wind power plants, solar PV power plant, and biomass. However, he said that PT SMI’s commitment to the Solar PV Power Plant project depends on the pipeline project. 

“The Solar PV Power Plant pipeline is more derived from rooftop Solar PV, and I think this is a potential that must be worked on. However, the approach is slightly different from on-grid  Solar PV Power Plants because rooftop  Solar PV comes from contracts with building owners where Solar PV Power Plants are installed. The building owners can come from outside of the electricity sector. The revenue model is also quite different. It is the domain of banks with building owner customers who can expand their business opportunities using rooftop solar PV,” said Edwin.

IPP Track: Support Private Sector Usage of Solar Power Plants to Achieve Paris Agreement Targets

Jakarta, 15 March 2022 – Indonesia has potential natural resources that can be allocated to develop solar power plants. Besides, solar power plants as renewable energy are feasible to create and reasonably competitive in price; hence solar might support the achievement of Indonesia’s renewable energy mix and emission reduction targets.   

Ahead of the Indonesia Solar Summit (2022), the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), together with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (KESDM), held four pre-events, one of them was IPP Track, which was held on 15 March.

Executive Director of IESR Fabby Tumiwa said ISS was aimed to discuss more the contribution of renewable energy acceleration, especially solar, for green jobs and the means to achieve the 20-gigawatt target through pipeline projects that will have a positive impact on green economic recovery post-pandemic.

Ida Nuryatin Finahari, Directorate of Electricity Business Development KESDM, said that the government would commit to the Paris Agreement targets. One of the strategies to implement is by enacting the National Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) 2021-2030.

“The inclination toward lower price and faster duration of its establishment, solar power plant target in RUPTL were added approximately 4,7 gigawatt,” said Ida.

Furthermore, Ida said the target of 51,6% renewable energy plant capacity in 2030 in RUPTL is higher than the National Electricity General Plan (RUKN).

In parallel, the Ministry of Maritime and Investment Affairs representative, Ridha Yasser, said that the renewable energy transition would be a global trend in the next few years. The government has prepared an Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) to encourage a green technology-based economy and established green industry areas in North Kalimantan. These are the government’s response to market demand to exert sustainable energy in all productions.

“However, amid the trend of high demand for solar panels, solar panel fabrication in Indonesia is still experiencing problems. On the one hand, it must also compete with solar manufacturers abroad,” he said.

The IPP Track event also invited several independent electricity developers (IPP), holders of Business Licenses for Electric Power Providers for the Public Interest (IUPTLU), as well as industrial estate managers, both private and State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN), to the discussion, such as PT PLN, Akuo Energy, PT Cikarang Listrindo, PT Tunas Energi, PT Energi Prima Nusantara, PT Bitung Inti Cemerlang, etc.

In general, the privates stated that they had supported the use of renewable energy for their operationalization. However, the private sector still finds obstacles such as licensing, unpreparedness to use rooftop solar PV, the possibility of waste problems due to the usage of battery storage energy systems, and the unaffordable price of solar power plants in frontier, outermost, and least developed regions (3T).

“Things that need to be emphasized are the consistency of existing regulations and procurement…from the implementation side; there needs to be transparency. For the TKDN itself, we as a private group support it, but TKDN also needs to fact-check the field’s condition so that its requirement will not cause obstacles to the development solar power plants in Indonesia. Once the market is established, the domestic industry will emerge by itself,” said Komang from Akuo Energy.

As a group that will use a lot of energy in its operationalization, the industries need support from the government, especially in using renewable energy, from upstream to downstream. This also required achieving renewable energy targets as the government had planned.

Commercial and Industrial Sector Ready to Encourage the Use of Rooftop PV

Jakarta, March 15, 2022 – The development of rooftop solar PV in Indonesia in the last three years has been very rapid. Citing records from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, there is a significant increase in installed capacity from less than 1.6 MW in 2018 to 48.79 MW in 2021. This is certainly encouraging. Solar power has become a clean energy that costs one of the cheapest today. The massive use of solar energy is the Indonesian government’s strategy to achieve the target of a 23% renewable energy mix by 2025. In addition to large-scale PV projects, the government has launched rooftop PLTS as a National Strategic Project (Proyek Strategis Nasional – PSN) of 3.6 GW.

In addition to utilizing the technical potential of solar energy in the areas where it operates, there is a need in the commercial and industrial sectors to use clean energy in their production and business operations. Nurul Ichwan, Deputy of Investment Planning – BKPM in the webinar “Business Going Green” organized by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Institute for Essential Services Reform, said that as many as 349 multinational companies have issued commitments to use 100% renewable energy in their business activities (RE100).

“In addition, other regulations such as the carbon border adjustment mechanism which will be implemented in the European Union will certainly encourage companies to switch to renewable energy so that they can be competitive with market demands, the easiest is rooftop solar power,” explained Ichwan.

Ichwan also added that as an offtaker, PLN plays an important role in this energy transition process.

“The big consideration lies with PLN, if they cannot receive the maximum supply of renewable energy, this transition process will not run quickly,” he explained.

The industrial sector’s need to reduce carbon emissions was justified by Karyanto Wibowo, Director of Sustainable Development DANONE, who explained that his company continues to strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its business activities, starting from energy efficiency, carbon offsetting, and installing rooftop solar panels on factory facilities.

“We plan to use 100% renewable energy (RE100) in 2030, currently we have installed rooftop solar panels with a total capacity of 6.2 MWp in 5 locations. With this installation, only 15 percent of clean energy is produced, we still have to catch up to another 85 percent until 2030,” he explained.

Karyanto continued that regulatory innovation for the power wheeling scheme would greatly assist the industrial sector in utilizing renewable energy.

From the developer side, George Hadi Santoso, Vice President of Marketing Xurya Daya, highlighted several problems with installing rooftop solar panels related to permits from PLN.

“We encountered many obstacles in West Java and Central Java. PLN is not responsive, and has not implemented regulations issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. We were once asked to become premium consumers first,” explained George.

The availability of export-import kWh meter is also still a problem with the slow flow of roof PV installations.

Aries, PLN’s APP Division, who was also present online clarified that the regulations currently being implemented by PLN still refer to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation 49/2018 which was revealed in the PLN Directors Regulations number 18 and 49. The derivative rules for the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation number 26 /2021 which is an update of Ministerial Regulation 49/2018 regarding rooftop solar is still in the process of being drafted by PLN.

“Services at PLN units are strongly influenced by queuing conditions. It is necessary to reorganize the service mechanism in each unit so that all consumers can be served properly,” explained Aries.

Fabby Tumiwa, Executive Director of IESR and General Chair of the Indonesian Solar Energy Association, reminded that the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 26/2021 has officially taken effect as of January 22, 2022, so it should have been implemented by that date.

“I hope this condition can be resolved soon so that there is clarity for licensing arrangements from 15 days to 5 days,” said Fabby.

The service industry that attended the ‘Business Going Green’ forum shared their experiences for taking part in this decarbonization effort. Antonius Augusta, Executive Director of Deloitte Indonesia, stated that in his institution, emission reduction actions are derived to individual actions.

“Globally, we are committed to using 100% renewable energy by 2030 in office buildings and using electric vehicles as operational vehicles. In Indonesia itself, sustainability action is carried out by looking again at work methods to reduce business trips. Some employees have also used rooftop solar panels as a personal initiative to help reduce emissions,” explained Augusta.

The selection of vendors and suppliers who also have a strong commitment to sustainability is one of Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) Indonesia’s strategies. Marina Mallian, Human Capital Business Partner of PwC Indonesia, explained that the company is more focused on sustainable actions that are integrated in the daily activities of employees, such as prioritizing local meeting destinations as well as doing carbon offsetting.

“Installing renewable energy such as solar PV is a bit difficult, because the building (office) is not ours. Even for changing vehicles to EVs (electric vehicles), we have concerns about the availability of battery charging infrastructure.”

Regulatory Support: Key to Unlock Indonesia’s Solar Potential

Jakarta, February 24, 2022 – The development of solar energy in Indonesia since 2018 has been increasing, although not significantly. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources noted that there was an increase in installed capacity for rooftop solar to 48.79 MW at the end of 2021 from only 1.6 MW in 2018. Progressive developments have also occurred in utility-scale PLTS, with the lowest PLTS electricity price being below 4 cents USD/kWh. One of the reasons for the increasing adoption of rooftop solar, apart from developing technology, is also due to the policy of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation number 49 of 2018 as the first official rule regarding rooftop PV.

The Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) projects an increase in the capacity of rooftop PV in the next 10 years, which will come from the government setting a target for solar PV of 4.7 GW in the RUPTL 2021-2030. The enactment of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation number 26 of 2021 provides new hope for PLN customers who will install rooftop PV because this new rule is considered beneficial to all parties.

Fabby Tumiwa, Executive Director of the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), and Chairperson of the Indonesian Solar Energy Association (ISA) in a webinar entitled “Indonesia Solar Chapter: Unlocking the Unlimited Potential to Embrace a Greener Future” (24/2/2022) stated that solar energy continues to grow in Indonesia both for household and utility-scale.

“In the coming years, solar energy has promising potential in Indonesia because the government has quite a lot of targets for using solar PV, such as the target of 3.6 GW in 2025 and replacing diesel with solar plus battery,” he said.

However, Fabby underlined a number of challenges in the development of solar PV in the country such as the policy framework that is not strong enough, as well as the role of PLN as the sole off-taker for the electricity produced so that the development of solar PV is highly dependent on the condition of the PLN grid. The Local Content Requirement (LCR) for solar panels also makes investors less confident to invest in Indonesia.

“The domestic solar panel industry is not yet mature enough to produce tier-1 solar modules. IN which for bankable PV projects, they are required to use a tier-1 module,” he explained.

Fendi Liem, Founder/Managing Director of PT Selaras Daya Utama (SEDAYU), agrees that the clarity of government regulations is the trigger for the exponential growth of rooftop solar. The issuance of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation 49/2018 has undeniably provided a sense of security for both investors and potential customers of rooftop solar power plants since 2018. Fendi reminded all government stakeholders to accelerate coordination and synchronization when there are new regulations.

“We often encounter rules that are out of sync between institutions in the government. This of course creates a bad impression from the entrepreneur. The desire to invest can be reduced because the rules between government institutions are not in harmony,” explained Fendi.

Fendi sees 2022 as a momentum for the rise of rooftop PV after the MEMR Ministerial Regulation 26/2021 applies which provides more benefits for rooftop PV customers, don’t let this momentum pass by. One of the government’s homework is to capture this momentum by strengthening the policy framework so that both developers and consumers will no longer hesitate to invest in rooftop PV.

Erik Peper, Country Director of Indonesia Infunde Development, sees the development of solar energy to accelerate the energy transition in Indonesia as the right thing to do. However, there are a number of obstacles such as scalability, land acquisition, and project clustering. Erik also sees that there is still uncertainty from the Indonesian government to use clean energy technology.

“The energy transition must be prepared carefully and look at the possible developments of the situation in the future. Technology that is currently cheap/economical may become expensive in the future. If there is a financial cost (of the transition) let be it, as in the long run it will be beneficial, it should be treated as an investment.”

Approved! The New Revised Solar Rooftop Regulation Targets the development of 3.6 GW of Rooftop Solar by 2025

The issue of government policies of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 49/2018 in terms of rooftop solar in Indonesia since 2018 has proven to have increased the adoption of PV mini-grid roofs from initially only 609 customers in 2018 to 4,262 customers in 2021. In 2021, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) revised regulation No. 49/2018 to  Regulation No. 26 of 2021.

“The implementation of the MEMR Regulation No. 26 of 2021 is expected to boost the development of the rooftop solar PV market, especially with the stipulation of a target of 3.6 GW of rooftop solar power in the National Strategic Project (PSN),” said Fabby Tumiwa, Executive Director of the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) in the Indonesia Solar Week 2022 (10/2/2022). He is also the Chairman of the Indonesian Solar Energy Association (AESI).

The MEMR Regulation No. 26 of 2021 is the third revision of MEMR No. 49/2018. The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 26 of 2021 has been issued since August 20, 2021. After experiencing a delay in ministerial approval finally, it was agreed to be implemented on January 18, 2022. The following is a comparison of the improvement in the provisions of the three MEMR Regulations:

Revision

Rooftop Solar MEMR Regulation
No. 49/2018No. 16/2019No. 26/ 2021
Electricity export65%As in MEMR Ministerial Regulation No.49/2018100%
Availability of export-import kWh metersMax. 15 business days after SLO (Operation Worthiness Certificate) received by PLNMax. 15 business days after SLO (Operation Worthiness Certificate) received by PLN
Period for setoff of the unused creditMax. 3 months6 months
Timeline for solar rooftop ApplicationMax.15 days5 business days without an adjustment to the Electricity Sale and Purchase Agreement (PJBL) and 12 days with an adjustment to the PJBL
CostumerOnly PLN’s CustomerPLN customers and customers in non-PLN Business Areas (IUPTLU holders).
Industrial CustomerSubject to capacity charge and emergency electricity purchase
with the formula:

Capacity cost = total inverter capacity (kW) x 40
(minimum load limit of electricity in one month) hours x electricity tariff. then multiplied by the electricity tariff.		Subject to capacity charge with
formula :

Capacity cost = total inverter capacity (kW) x 5
(five) hours x electricity tariff.
Subject to capacity charge with
formula :

Capacity cost = total inverter capacity (kW) x 5
(five) hours x electricity tariff.
Online reportingNANAAvailability of submitting the application, reports , and supervision of the solar rooftop program;
Complaint CenterNANAAvailable
Othersthe possibility for trading carbon credits generated from solar PV systems

The government hopes that the improvement of the rooftop solar regulation will encourage the achievement of the target of 3.6 GW of PV mini-grid by 2025. The target of 3.6 GW of rooftop solar is the MEMR proposal that is included in the National Strategic Project as stated in the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Regulation No. 7 of 2021. The potential positive impacts of the projected growth of 3.6 GW Rooftop PLTS include absorbing 121,500 workers and reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 4.58 Million Tons of CO2e.

As part of the implementation of the MEMR Ministerial Regulation No. 26/202, Fabby encouraged the government to immediately establish a solar rooftop Customer Center per article 26 of the MEMR Ministerial Regulation. In addition, Fabby hopes that the solar rooftop application process and permits are clear and concise following the latest provisions. On the other hand, problems that are often faced by potential customers such as the length of time to obtain an Exim meter can also be overcome, thereby increasing the installation of rooftop solar power plants in the future.

Open Canvas: IsDB seeks advice on Energy Transition in Indonesia and Southeast Asia Region with IESR

Jakarta, 1 December 2021 – In the past year, the term energy transition has gained traction in the policy advocating process as well as public discourse. The energy sector, as the number one polluter globally, attracts the main spotlight as the world is in the race to limit its temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Energy transition, though it is a need, unfortunately, has no universal formula for each region or country to implement. Each country needs to figure out the most suitable scenario for its energy transition considering the context and situation of the country. However, taking notes on the previous experience in preparing or initiating the energy transition could help to smoothen the process of transition preparation in a region.

Indonesia marked a quite progressive move along the year, starting from the announcement of the net-zero target in 2060 (sooner) and also the recent RUPTL that accommodates a bigger portion, 51.6% of renewables. Though the target is still considered not enough to achieve the Paris Target, the ongoing progress and commitment announced are attracting people to learn on how the government shifts its interest, and finally commits to cleaner energy.

On December 1st, 2021, IESR met the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Almaty, Kazakhstan to share the progress of the energy transition in Indonesia as well as lessons learned on the role of non-government stakeholders in accelerating energy transition both at the country and regional level. 

Sitting for the Central Asia region, IsDB identified the low investment and old infrastructure in power generation, transmission, and distribution as the main issue in the area. The potential renewable energy such as hydro and solar is only available during summer. In the winter where the temperature may drop, for instance up to -50 degrees celsius in Kazakhstan, a way to supply the power must be figured out, and what energy can be used to fulfill the demand.

In developing a more sustainable scenario, IESR as an independent think-tank actively advocating energy transition agenda through several means and channels i.e research dissemination, initiating movement, and actively influencing public discourse. 

“For instance, we push solar rooftop penetration into the grid, because we believe the technology could help to democratize energy access which in Indonesia is monopolized by PLN,” Fabby Tumiwa the Executive Director of IESR explained.

In influencing and shaping public opinion, IESR through the Clean, Affordable, and Secure Energy (CASE) for Southeast Asia project actively engaged with the government, media, academic institutions, and public to promote energy transition discourse for a wider audience. In policy advocacy matters, CASE is also in partnership with the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) to influence the long-term development goal.

Understanding that the energy transition is a multidimensional issue, it requires a collaboration of diverse stakeholders in planning and implementing it.

“That is our next goal, we’ll have a meeting with the Ministry of Energy and talk about the plan, and figure out what we can do to support the deployment of renewable energy and what works for them,” said Edzwan Anwar of the IsDB.