Regulations on the authority and conditions for issuing certificates of registration for development of solar power in Vietnam

Regulations on the authority and conditions for issuing certificates of registration for development of solar power in Vietnam (Internet image) 

On October 22, 2024, the Government of Vietnam issued Decree 135/2024/ND-CP regulating mechanisms and policies promoting the development of self-produced and self-consumed rooftop solar power in Vietnam

Regulations on the authority and conditions for issuing certificates of registration for development of solar power in Vietnam

Article 9 of Decree 135/2024/ND-CP stipulates the authorities and conditions for issuing registration certificates for self-produced, self-consumed solar power development as follows:

(1) Authority for Issuing Development Registration Certificates

Provincial Department of Industry and Trade is responsible for receiving applications and issuing development registration certificates.

(2) Conditions for Issuing Development Registration Certificates

- The registration dossier for the development of self-produced and self-consumed rooftop solar power is stipulated in Article 10 of Decree 135/2024/ND-CP;

- Compliance with provision (3);

- A unified document from the local electricity unit.

(3) Self-produced, self-consumed rooftop solar power connected to the national grid system with a capacity of 1,000 kW or more:

- In case of selling surplus electricity to the national grid, the capacity must be consistent with the development capacity allocated locally in the planning and planning implementation;

- In case of not selling surplus electricity to the national grid, registration must be in accordance with point b, clause 1, Article 8 of Decree 135/2024/ND-CP.

Provisions on Registration Dossier for Self-produced, Self-consumed Rooftop Solar Power Connected to the National Grid in Vietnam

- Application Receiving Authority

The authority receiving the registration dossier for self-produced, self-consumed rooftop solar power is the Provincial Department of Industry and Trade, responsible for receiving applications and issuing development registration certificates.

- Registration Dossier Includes:

+ Registration form according to Form No. 01 in the Appendix issued with Decree 135/2024/ND-CP;

+ Households, individual houses provide documents: Design drawing for installing self-produced, self-consumed rooftop solar power; copy of construction permit of the project (if any) according to the law;

+ Other subjects provide documents: Design drawing for installing self-produced, self-consumed rooftop solar power; copies of investment policy, construction permit, fire prevention and fighting acceptance, acceptance of construction works, environmental protection documents issued by competent authorities (if any) according to the law.

(Article 10 of Decree 135/2024/ND-CP)

Provisions on Rooftop Solar Power Connected to the National Grid in Vietnam

Decree 135/2024/ND-CP provides mechanisms and policies encouraging the development of self-produced, self-consumed solar power installed on the rooftops of buildings, including houses, public agencies, industrial parks, industrial clusters, export processing zones, high-tech parks, economic zones, production facilities, and business facilities invested, constructed in conformity with the law.

Specifically, Article 7 of Decree 135/2024/ND-CP regulates self-produced, self-consumed rooftop solar power connected to the national grid as follows:

(1) Organizations and individuals developing self-produced, self-consumed rooftop solar power must notify or register in accordance with Decree 135/2024/ND-CP.

(2) Organizations and individuals choose whether or not to feed surplus generation (if any) of self-produced, self-consumed rooftop solar power into the national grid.

(3) Organizations and individuals, based on scale and electricity consumption, proceed with the development of self-produced, self-consumed rooftop solar power, ensuring the development capacity is less than or equal to the total installed load capacity (consistent with electricity consumption during the latest 12 months).

(4) With installed capacity from 100 kW and above, organizations and individuals must equip devices and facilities for connection with the collection system, monitoring, and control as prescribed by Vietnam Electricity Corporation.

(5) Organizations, individuals, and households with individual houses below 100 kW installed capacity must:

- Notify according to Form No. 04 in the Appendix issued with Decree 135/2024/ND-CP to the Department of Industry and Trade and local power units.

- Notify according to Form No. 04 in the Annex issued with Decree 135/2024/ND-CP to local construction management and fire prevention and fighting agencies for management, monitoring, guidance in accordance with the law.

(6) Before installing self-produced, self-consumed rooftop solar power with an installed capacity from 100 kW to under 1,000 kW, organizations and individuals must:

- Notify according to Form No. 04 in the Annex issued with Decree 135/2024/ND-CP with design dossiers to the Department of Industry and Trade;

- Notify according to Form No. 04 in the Annex issued with Decree 135/2024/ND-CP to local construction management and fire prevention and fighting agencies for management, monitoring, and guidance according to the law.

- Notify according to Form No. 04 in the Annex issued with Decree 135/2024/ND-CP to local power units for management, monitoring, and safe operation scheduling of the system. For capacities within planning, implementation plans allocated locally, surplus electricity may be sold according to Decree 135/2024/ND-CP, otherwise, follow regulations in point b, clause 1, Article 8 of Decree 135/2024/ND-CP.

More details can be found in Decree 135/2024/ND-CP which comes into force in Vietnam from October 22, 2024.

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