Achieving renewable energy targets: The impact of residential solar PV prosumers in Indonesia

Indonesia, like many countries, has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To do this the country needs to move from its current high reliance on non-renewable energy sources to renewable sources of energy. The issue is significant for Indonesia as the country is the 4th largest contributor to global CO2 emissions. The country has abundant sources for energy and one of these sources is the potential for solar energy. Therefore, the country has set ambitious renewable energy targets based on the potential supply of solar energy. With domestic residential consuming up to 43% of total electricity consumption, the Government has targeted homeowners to install solar rooftop and become residential solar PV prosumers. However, a recent energy evaluation report indicates that the country’s progress is very slow and it is highly likely that renewable energy goals will not be achieved. This study conducted an online survey of a small sample of regular electricity subscribers and residents who have installed solar rooftop in the hope of gaining a better understanding of various issues and factors which could be impeding the growth of residential solar. Some of areas the study explored included the level of knowledge and awareness of solar energy, initiatives for homeowners, policy on net-metering and feed-in tariff, and areas of concern related to economic, environmental, and technological factors. While many countries are struggling to shift to greener energy generation and consumption, in Indonesia’s case, the country has its own unique set of challenges being the energy generation and distribution is centralised, state-owned, with an inflexible energy pricing system. Hence, energy management in Indonesia could benefit from becoming more market focused and transparent, while increasing technology adoption with hybrid community partnerships, including a mix of private and government ownership. A discussion on policy implications and suggestions for improvements can be found at the end of this paper.

印度尼西亚同诸多国家一道，已承诺降低温室气体（Greenhouse Gas, GHG）排放。为达成该目标，该国需摆脱当前对非可再生能源的高度依赖，转而使用可再生能源。作为全球第四大二氧化碳排放国，这一议题对印度尼西亚而言至关重要。该国能源储备丰沛，太阳能便是极具潜力的能源来源之一。据此，该国基于太阳能的潜在供给量，设定了雄心勃勃的可再生能源目标。由于国内居民用电占总用电量的比例高达43%，政府将推广目标投向住宅业主，鼓励其安装屋顶太阳能系统，成为住宅太阳能光伏（Photovoltaic, PV）产消者（Prosumer）。然而，近期一份能源评估报告显示，该国可再生能源发展进度极为缓慢，大概率无法达成既定目标。本研究针对少量常规电力用户及已安装屋顶太阳能系统的居民开展了线上调查，以期更深入地了解阻碍住宅太阳能推广的各类问题与影响因素。研究涵盖的领域包括：太阳能知识普及与认知水平、面向住宅业主的扶持举措、净计量与上网电价补贴政策，以及与经济、环境、技术因素相关的各类顾虑。尽管诸多国家都在向绿色能源生产与消费转型，但印度尼西亚面临着独特的挑战：其能源生产与分销均采用集中化、国有化模式，且能源定价体系缺乏灵活性。因此，若能转向更以市场为导向且透明化的能源管理模式，同时通过混合社区合作模式（涵盖私营与国有资本混合持股）提升技术应用水平，印度尼西亚的能源管理或将大有裨益。本文末尾将探讨政策启示与改进建议。