Vietnam energy consumers face high costs and low solar buy-back rates

In Vietnam, consumers are facing challenges regarding rising electricity costs and the economic viability of renewable energy investments. High temperatures have increased the necessity of air conditioning, leading to concerns over surging utility bills. Independent testing by QUATEST 3 on SANYO air conditioning models (SI-9TSJIVND and SO-9TSJIVND) showed a consumption of 1.308 kWh during 8 hours of continuous operation at a set temperature of 26°C.

Simultaneously, the adoption of rooftop solar energy is being hindered by low buy-back rates. While the government has increased the ratio of surplus electricity that can be sold to the national grid from 20% to 50%, the purchase price offered by EVN remains significantly lower than retail rates. Consumers report that while they may buy electricity at approximately 2,200 to 3,000 VND/kWh, the buy-back rate for solar power is only around 844 VND/kWh. This price gap has led many households to invest in battery storage for self-consumption rather than selling excess power back to the grid.