Solar Energy in Malaysia: Targets, Programmes and What Comes Next

Where Solar Energy Stands in Malaysia

Malaysia sits near the equator and gets strong sun through the year. Solar is the renewable source the country plans to lean on most.

The National Targets

Two government documents set the direction.

• Malaysia Renewable Energy Roadmap (MyRER). It set a target of 31% renewable energy in installed capacity by 2025, and 40% by 2035. SEDA publishes it.
• National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR). Launched in 2023, it raised the aim to 70% renewable energy in installed capacity by 2050. It also aims for a net-zero nation by 2050.

Solar photovoltaic capacity is expected to make up most of that 70%.

These are shares of installed capacity, not of the electricity generated. The two differ, because solar panels produce only in daylight.

What Changed for Homes in 2026

Two things changed.

Solar ATAP replaced NEM. New rooftop systems in Peninsular Malaysia now come under Solar ATAP. Exported energy is credited against the energy charge of the same month, and credits do not carry over.

SuRIA Home replaced SolaRIS. The SuRIA Home rebate pays RM600 per kWac, up to RM3,000, for systems commissioned by 31 December 2026.

The lesson for a homeowner is that programmes change. The rules you install under deserve more attention than any forecast.

Three Directions to Watch

No one can promise where prices or policy will go. These are the directions the roadmaps point to.

More solar on roofs. The national targets depend on solar, and rooftop programmes for homes and businesses are part of that.

Batteries. Under Solar ATAP, power you use yourself is worth more than power you export. That makes storage more useful than it was under NEM. See solar battery storage.

Electric vehicles. The NETR names green mobility as one of its six levers. A home that charges a car in the daytime uses more of its own solar power.

East Malaysia Follows Its Own Path

The national targets cover the whole country, but the rooftop schemes differ by electricity supplier.

Solar ATAP is for TNB customers. Sabah has Solar Rakyat Sabah, run by the Energy Commission of Sabah. Sarawak has its own NEM scheme under Sarawak Energy. Our pages for Sabah and Sarawak describe them.

Should You Wait for Prices to Fall?

It is a fair question, and there is no certain answer. What is known today:

• The SuRIA Home rebate ends on 31 December 2026, or earlier if its allocation is taken up
• Every month without solar is a month of the full bill
• By our estimate, a system sized to your daytime use pays back in four to six years

What is not known is what the next programme will look like. NEM gave way to Solar ATAP, and the terms changed.

If solar suits your home now, the sum is already there to check. Our guide on whether solar is worth it shows how.

What This Means for Your Home

1. Check your bill and when you use electricity
2. Check whether your supply is single-phase or three-phase
3. Decide before the rebate deadline if you want the rebate
4. Size the system to what you use in the daytime
5. Ask for a proposal that shows the saving at your own daytime use

Talk to Us About Your Roof

WhatsApp SolarKita with your TNB bill. We will tell you what the current programme means for your home.