Encon Fund approves Bt1.8 bn for solar power
Play
The Energy Conservation Promotion Fund committee yesterday approved a budget of Bt2.147 billion for the promotion of renewable energy, of which Bt1.847 billion is for solar-system installation on the rooftops of 2,000 buildings belonging to state agencies
The rooftop systems will have the capacity to produce a combined 25 megawatts of electricity.
Energy Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal said after the Encon Fund committee meeting that 5,298 state buildings nationwide consumed 673 million units of electricity per year, resulting in an annual power bill of Bt2.5 billion.
The installation of the rooftop solar system will help state agencies save Bt146 million per year on their power costs, while some 11 million litres of fuel worth Bt330 million for annual electricity generation will also be saved.
Moreover, an annual 18,980-tonne reduction in carbon-dioxide emission will be achieved, he said.
The solar-power project is part of the government’s policy to produce 2,000MW of alternative and renewable energy from 2012 to 2021, of which 1,000MW will be rooftop solar-power production by small communities.
As part of the rooftop solar installation plan for state agencies, systems will be installed in eight major provinces to produce a total of 6MW, in 27 mid-sized provinces for 10.5MW, and in 39 small provinces for another 8.5MW.
Amnuay Thongsathitya, director-general of the Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Department, said installation of solar-power systems on state buildings’ rooftops would commence in the next four months.
The target of 25MW will cover some 2,000 buildings and will encourage the private sector to follow suit, he said, adding that the government will provide incentives for installation, such as soft loans.
