Higher power prices prompts push for solar

Small businesses and households are being urged to reduce their reliance on the state electricity grid and adopt solar power solutions, as global energy price volatility threatens to drive up costs, despite Thailand's capped power tariffs, according to solar firms.

- YUTHANA PRAIWAN

Caretaker energy minister Auttapol Rerkpiboon recently announced a temporary ceiling of 3.88 baht per kilowatt-hour for the period from May to August.

But industry analysts warn that rising fuel prices, driven by the conflict in the Middle East, will eventually push electricity costs higher.

Oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have been disrupted by the conflict, tightening global supply and inflating prices.

New Energy Plus Solutions, a solar panel importer and installer, is calling on the incoming government to expand public access to solar technology.