MANY MINDEDMalaysia issues residential solar net metering guidelines
Malaysia's energy regulator Suruhanjaya Tenaga issued updated net metering guidelines for residential rooftop solar installations under NEM Rakyat and NEM GoMEn schemes in early July 2026. Eligible applicants must be Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) consumers with solar PV systems installed on the same premises rooftop. The rules permit residential systems up to 5 kWac for single-phase and 12.5 kWac for three-phase connections under NEM Rakyat, while NEM GoMEn allows up to 1,000 kWac (subject to technical and grid constraints). Excess solar generation is credited 1:1 against consumption with a 12-month carry-forward period, and net metering schemes remain valid for 10 years after which systems operate under self-consumption.
The mechanism lowers barriers for household solar adoption by standardizing technical requirements and financial incentives. Current operational capacity under both schemes reaches 1.7 gigawatts, with 595 megawatts under development. Systems exceeding 72 kWac require a NEM Assessment Study, and all installations must comply with electrical, safety, and technical standards.
This moves energy affordability for households by reducing grid dependency and electricity costs. As Malaysia shifts from feed-in tariffs to net metering in 2016, the updated rules strengthen household solar access without requiring new grid infrastructure. For SUSTENANCE, it directly supports energy security for low-income families through cheaper, locally generated power.
What to watch: Technical constraints on larger NEM GoMEn systems and whether the 595 megawatts of under-development meets grid capacity. Figures are approximate per source, and the guidelines were updated in early July 2026 (source text truncated).
Source: pv magazine