Solar power in Thailand

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]

Solar potential[1]

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]

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-gridOff-gridTotalOn-gridOff-gridTotal
2005 1.7722.1123.880.0113.0413.05
2006 1.8628.6630.520.096.556.64
2007 3.6128.9032.511.740.241.98
2008 4.0629.3433.390.450.440.89
2009 13.6729.4943.179.620.169.77
2010 19.5729.6549.225.890.166.05
2011 212.8029.88242.68193.230.23193.46
2012 357.3830.19387.57144.890.15145.04
2013 794.0729.73823.80436.69-0.45a436.24
2014 1,268.77229.731,298.51474.710474.71
2015b 1,299.62230.031,329.65722[8]0.2931.15
Source: IEA-PVPS, Annual Report 2015 (AR2015)[9]
Notes:
a Some of the off-grid systems were dismantled.
b Preliminary data at the end of October 2015.
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. 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 ed.). International Energy Agency - Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme. 2014. p. 8. ISBN 978-3-906042-19-0. Archived (PDF) 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. http://solarpv.tv/index.php/2016/09/13/solar-pv-installed-capacity-reaches-2-7gw-in-thailand/
  9. IEA-PVPS, Annual Report 2015 (AR2015), p. 105, 27 May 2016
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