Malaysia to pay households for using their roofs to generate solar energy
- Householders can lease out their rooftops in return for an income that could lower electricity bills and put cash in their pockets, the economy minister said
- A pilot project for 450 homes at a new township is being built by a private developer, which will manage everything at no cost to the government
Malaysia announced a radical plan on Thursday to lease rooftops to install solar power, as the government seeks to raise the nation’s share of renewable energy to 70 per cent of total power generation by 2050.
The concept is to pay households for their roof space to generate solar energy. It is one of several measures the government intends to implement under its National Energy Transition Roadmap.
The road map “is designed to break the mould and make clean energy a financially relevant option to most households today”, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said.
“In every home, we intend to give households the option to lease out their rooftops in return for a monthly income that could lower their electricity bills and put more cash in their pockets,” he said.
Malaysia remains heavily reliant on coal and natural gas for its power. Energy from renewable sources accounts for 16 per cent of total electricity generation, predominantly from hydroelectric installations, according to data from the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Solar-power installed capacity accounted for 1,780 megawatts in 2021, under a third of the 6,211MW generated from dams.