Indonesia to install rooftop solar panels on 800 public buildings

A house in East Kalimantan uses a combination of solar energy and a windmill to generate electricity (Photo: Jakarta Post)

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has allocated 175 billion rupiah (12.76 million USD) to install the panels on boarding schools, clinics, orphanages, government offices and police stations in 17 provinces.

The ministry’s Renewables Infrastructure Director Puspa Dewi said due to a tight budget, the project would focus first on public buildings as they have higher electricity demand during the day than residential areas.

The programme is part of the Indonesian government’s efforts to increase the rate of renewable energy use to 23 percent by 2025 in line with its National Energy Plan.

As of the end of 2019, the figure stood at 12.36 percent, much lower than the yearly target of 17.5.

Out of the 800 panels to be installed, 100 each will be in East Java and East Nusa Tenggara, Puspa said.

Statistics from the Institute for Essential Services Reform showed that Indonesia’s total solar energy production capacity as of November 2019 hit 152 MW, up 43.3 percent from the previous year./.

VNA