Many MindedMalaysia extends solar rebates to boost household energy access
Malaysia’s government extended eligibility for residential solar rebates to approved applicants until March 2027, expanding affordable solar adoption for households. The SuRIA Home program initially allocated MYS 150 million ($36.7 million) for rebates, providing MYS 600 ($147.11) per kilowatt of installed capacity with a cap of MYS 3,000 for 5-kilowatt systems. By September 15, 2026, 12,374 households had received rebates totaling MYS 36.2 million, representing 24,291 solar installations (391.85 megawatts) under the Solar ATAP program. This growth reflects an increase of approximately 190% in approved capacity over four and a half months (from April to September 2026). The country added 1.4 gigawatts of solar capacity in the previous year, bringing cumulative capacity to over 5.7 gigawatts.
The program directly reduces upfront costs for households, making solar energy more accessible for low-to-mid-income families. By lowering barriers to installation, it advances energy affordability for SUSTENANCE and THE COMMONS—particularly in communities where grid access is limited or expensive. This expansion supports Malaysia’s target of 50,000 homeowners under SuRIA Home, though current funding remains at MYS 90 million ($22.1 million) as of September 2026.
What to watch: Rebate eligibility applies only to installations completed by March 2027, and the remaining funding may limit further scale. If household adoption stalls, the program could fall short of its 50,000 homeowner target despite strong initial growth.
Source: pv magazine