Thailand Mandates Safety Standards for 1.5 Million Solar Rooftop Installations
Thailand's solar rooftop subsidy program for 1.5 million households will require all installations to meet strict safety and quality standards set by the Industrial Standards Institute, with registration opening mid-October and a 50,000-bah
Industry Minister Varawut Silpaarcha announced that the Solar Rooftop programme will support 1.5 million households, with the state providing a 50,000-baht subsidy per installation. Registration will open mid-October as part of a broader public solar cell installation initiative aimed at reducing electricity costs for Thai households. Beyond simply installing panels, the ministry wants to ensure that systems meet quality and safety standards while seizing the opportunity to build the domestic solar industry. Varawut instructed the Thai Industrial Standards Institute to enforce standards for every component—panels, inverters, wiring, batteries, circuit breakers, fuses, connectors, and controls—so that households can be confident their investment yields a safe, high-quality system. Standards cover photovoltaic panels, direct-current circuit breakers, fuses, solar wiring, lithium batteries, and inverters, plus DC connectors and solar junction boxes. The ministry also plans to use the enormous demand from this programme to build a domestic supply chain, including panel assembly, mounting frames, glass, wiring, junction boxes, electrical cabinets, and related equipment. This approach keeps investment circulating within Thailand, creates manufacturing jobs, supports Thai small and medium enterprises, and ensures that rooftop solar installations are safe, standard-compliant, and beneficial for the country's industrial development.
