Selling power to the national grid
In September, the minister of energy, Pehin Dato Yasmin Umar, announced a plan to introduce a feed-in tariff scheme to promote the use of solar power, which will allow individuals and businesses to sell the electricity they generate back to the national energy firm.
Speaking at the opening of a workshop on policies, feed-in tariff frameworks and best practices for grid-connected solar photovoltaic projects on September 9, the minister said such a system would help reduce consumers’ power bills, encourage the use of renewable energy and promote a wider acceptance of efficient energy use.
Later, on the sidelines of the conference, the minister said that while many things needed to be done before the scheme could be implemented over the next 18 month to two years, the programme had much to offer both consumers and the national economy.
The government flagged the possibility of developing a feed-in tariff system at the beginning of the year, with officials suggesting Brunei Darussalam could adopt the scheme as a means to improve energy efficiency. However, it was not until the September workshop that a proposal was fleshed out and a time frame presented.
To support take up of the programme, the government is considering a number of incentives, including low-cost loans to consumers to fund solar panel installation, which could then be paid back using earnings from electricity generation.
According to the minister, the feed-in scheme would be complemented by the development of smart-grid infrastructure, which uses digital technology to help balance supply and demand using two-way communication, improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption. A smart-grid system can, for example, advise consumers to lower their consumption at peak-demand times. The minister added that since this would be a major investment, private sector participation was a possibility.