PLN Regulations Still Hamper Rooftop Solar Panel Installations

JAKARTA – The Indonesian Solar Energy Association (AESI) received 14 complaints from its members between November and December 2021 after they had difficulty installing rooftop solar panels due to lack of permits from PLN said AESI Chairperson Fabby Tumiwa said 79 percent of the cases occurred in West Java, according to the Antara news agency (15/2). Tumiwa said postponing the implementation of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation Number 26 of 2021 which regulates the use of rooftop solar power plants in Indonesia will cause uncertainty in clean energy investment because many parties, especially multinational companies, have questioned Indonesia’s commitment to increasing renewable energy. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources issued the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation Number 26 of 2021 concerning Rooftop Solar Power Plants Connected to the Electric Power Network Holders of Business Licenses for the Provision of Electric Power for Public Interest (IUPTLU), as a government effort to achieve new and renewable energy targets by 23 percent in 2025. This Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources regulation is an improvement from the previous regulation as an effort to improve the governance and economics of Rooftop Solar Power Plants (PLTS). In Article 7 of the Regulation of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Number 49 of 2018 concerning “The use of rooftop solar power generation systems by consumers of PT PLN (Persero)” requires two things that must be fulfilled by the applicant to install rooftop PLTS, namely administrative requirements in the form of at least containing the PLN customer identity number and technical requirements in the form of the installed power of the rooftop PLTS system, technical specifications of the equipment to be installed, and a one-line diagram. Corporate Strategy General Manager of Mitsubishi Motors Krama Yudha Indonesia (MMKI) Diantoro Dendi was quoted by Antara news agency regarding the obstacles he encountered when installing rooftop PLTS for his factory. According to Dendi, his party has submitted an application for the installation of rooftop PLTS in April 2021 but PLN only responded in January 2022 by providing additional requirements in the form of a maximum PLTS roof capacity of 1.75MW peak, a ban on operating on holidays and the export of electricity that is allowed only 65 percent. Additional requirements according to MMKI are not in accordance with Energy and Mineral Resources Ministerial Regulation Number 26 of 2021. (nsh)