Toey Wattana Mongkhonnam began thinking about outfitting his family home in Thailand’s northeastern province of Yasothon with solar panels during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In his household of five, electricity use rises with the day’s heat, and the monthly bill could range from 1,000 to 1,500 baht (US$30 to US$45).
“Back then, I checked prices and a rooftop panel system that could put out enough power to run my household’s appliances could cost 100,000 to 200,000 baht,” said Toey, a Muay Thai trainer in Kuala Lumpur.
Toey’s calculations capture the challenge facing Thailand’s recently proposed 50-billion-baht (US$1.5 billion) rooftop-solar support scheme: whether it can make the switch attractive not just to high-use households but also to those with lower bills who may have less money to put towards the initial cost.