Beyond tripling: Keeping ASEAN’s solar & wind momentum

The report analyzes the growth of solar and wind energy in the ASEAN region, highlighting that while there has been significant expansion—largely driven by Viet Nam—stronger policy support and grid modernization are required to meet the IEA's 2050 net zero scenario. To align with this scenario, the region must reach a 23% share of solar and wind in total electricity generation by 2030, necessitating the addition of 164 GW of solar and 65 GW of wind capacity.

• To align with the International Energy Agency's (IEA) 2050 Net Zero Emission (NZE) scenario, ASEAN countries must reach a solar and wind share of approximately 23% in their power generation mix by 2030. This target requires the installation of 164 GW of solar and 65 GW of wind capacity, building upon an existing capacity of 34 GW.
• ASEAN experienced an average annual growth rate of 43% in solar and wind generation from 2015 to 2022, with total generation increasing from 4.2 TWh to 50 TWh. Viet Nam was the primary driver of this growth, accounting for 69% of the region's combined solar and wind generation in 2022.
• The region's current installed capacity is significantly below its theoretical potential. As of 2022, ASEAN had 26.6 GW of solar and 6.8 GW of wind installed capacity, which represents less than 1% of the theoretical potentials estimated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at 30,523 GW for solar and 1,383 GW for wind.
• Growth in solar and wind generation slowed in 2022, rising by 15% (+6.4 TWh) compared to a 67% (+18 TWh) increase in 2021. This slowdown is attributed in large part to the phase-out of the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme in Viet Nam.
• Several policy and regulatory barriers hinder the expansion of renewables in the region. These include local content requirements—such as Indonesia's requirement for 60% domestic content for solar module components by January 1, 2025—underdeveloped supply chains, land availability issues, and the need for grid modernization and energy storage to manage intermittency.
• Different ASEAN nations are employing various strategies to boost clean power: Viet Nam is introducing auction mechanisms and prioritizing wind in its PDP VIII; Malaysia is using green electricity tariffs and net metering; and Thailand is focusing on rooftop solar PV incentives and battery energy storage systems.

APA

Ember (2023). Beyond tripling: Keeping ASEAN’s solar & wind momentum. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/beyond-tripling-asean

Chicago

Ember. Beyond tripling: Keeping ASEAN’s solar & wind momentum. 2023. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/beyond-tripling-asean.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Beyond tripling: Keeping ASEAN’s solar & wind momentum |date=16 November 2023 |url=https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/beyond-tripling-asean |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2023beyond, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Beyond tripling: Keeping ASEAN’s solar \& wind momentum}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/beyond-tripling-asean}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }