By the end of 2020, within just two years and with the help of attractive schemes and feed-in tariffs, 9730 MWp of rooftop solar (RTS) systems were installed in Viet Nam, reaching 11 % of the total generation installed capacity. In this context, the GET.transform program teamed up with GIZ’s project “Commercial and Industrial Rooftop Solar (CIRTS)” and contracted Energynautics and a local partner to provide recommendations on remote monitoring and remote control of RTS.

The current main challenges associated with a fast rise in RTS installations in Viet Nam were identified via desktop research and stakeholder interviews. They comprise insufficient visibility and control in the distribution level, grid overload in certain transmission lines and voltage issues in VRE hot spot areas.

A gap analysis was conducted regarding remote monitoring and control of RTS practices in Viet Nam and international best practices from countries that have already reached high shares of RTS in their power generation mix. Resulting recommendations included adding requirements for inverters above a certain size to have the capability of being remotely monitored and controlled, as well as recommendations towards the implementation of a Distributed Energy Resources Management System (DERMS) or Virtual Power Plant (VPP), taking into account various communication technology options.

The project findings were presented and discussed with stakeholders in two workshops. Participants included representatives from the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority (EREA), the Electricity of Viet Nam’s national and regional load dispatch centres, and various power corporations.

The findings will serve as a basis for developing more detailed specifications for DERMS/VPP projects in Viet Nam. These projects will be carried out under a separate assignment by the CIRTS programme, for which Energynautics has been selected together with other partnering companies