Is Southeast Asia set for a green energy revolution powered by small solar panels and EVs?

One study shows distributed energy resources such as small solar panels could one day account for half of the region’s renewable energy output

Supportive policies are needed to maximise the benefits of small solar panels and tap more electric vehicles into the power grid

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An electric vehicle (EV) being charged while on display at the Bangkok EV Expo 2024 on February 11, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 10:00am, 13 Mar 2024Updated: 12:30pm, 15 Mar 2024

The push for renewable energy typically conjures images of vast solar farms and towering wind turbines, but the real game-changer in the battle against climate change in Southeast Asia could be the small-scale, distributed energy resources (DER) like rooftop solar panels and electric vehicles.

Such sources could eventually account for up to half of the region’s renewable energy output with proper policies in place, Gabrielle Kuiper, a distributed energy resource specialist and guest contributor at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), told This Week in Asia.

“All of these technologies could be very effective in Southeast Asia,” she said, adding that the region has an edge because it has technology centres to facilitate such a transition, especially with its solar resources and production centres for batteries.

DER refers to any small-scale unit of power generation or energy storage technologies, operating either as part of a local distribution network or off-grid. These can range from individual solar panel installations on home rooftops to electric vehicles and battery storage units that feed power back into the grid. DER systems allow for the management of energy at or near the point of use, which energy analysts say increases flexibility and efficiency.

Kuiper said that DER systems could help Southeast Asia unlock billions of dollars worth of renewable energy potential and accelerate the region towards its goal of becoming a clean energy hub.

A report by IEEFA published last month estimated that DER systems could deliver A$19 billion (US$12.6 billion) of total economic benefits to Australia by 2040. Kuiper explained that the economic impact stems from the flexibility and efficiency of DER systems.

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