Technology Selection of Solar PV for Household and Small Industries in Indonesia

Energy demand is increasing up to 31 GWp by 2030 according to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Indonesia. It is recommended that State Electricity Enterprise (PLN) to be involved in the solar PV business to maintain the sustainability of Indonesia’s energy. Therefore, it is necessary to select the correct solar panel technology adapted to the culture of the Indonesian market, meanwhile to ensure minimal loss and increase the competitive advantages for PLN in the future. This study aims to make technology selection of solar PV for household and small industries needed by Indonesian’s market by some criteria selection. Criteria selection of solar PV obtained from the readiness of manufacturing and maturity of the technology. These criteria selection is used in selecting basic material and solar panel technology. Material criteria selection consists of material availability in Indonesia, annual degradation of efficiency, the amount of toxicity contained in the material, and the basic price of the material. Meanwhile, technology criteria selection consists of efficiency, wp/cm2, LCOE, lifetime, and maturity of solar panel technology. The result from the national and international solar PV manufacturer survey is used for modeling and simulating solar PV selection for Indonesia. The result of the study shows that the most suitable material and panel used recently and also for the future. It also shows a great opportunity for the utility to be involved in the solar PV business. This is subject to future changes depend on price, availability, and new technology in the future.