The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has called for rooftop solar development targets to be assigned to local authorities. The aim is to unlock the country’s vast untapped solar potential and strengthen electricity supplies for 2027‑2028, a move that matters for anyone watching Vietnam’s energy future.

In 2026 Vietnam’s electricity supply faced multiple challenges. The Middle East crisis and the conflict in Ukraine disrupted fuel imports, while extreme heat pushed peak demand 6.4% above the previous year’s record and annual consumption was expected to grow by more than 10%.

El Niño conditions in late 2026 cut water inflows to hydropower reservoirs to about 80% of the long‑term average. This reduction is projected to lower annual hydropower generation by around 18.5 billion kWh compared with 2025.

Vietnam’s technical potential for household rooftop solar is nearly 49,300 MWp, yet only about 11,450 MWp (134,410 systems) had been installed by the end of August 2026. MoIT instructed provincial and municipal People’s Committees to coordinate with the electricity sector to accelerate rooftop solar installations at industrial parks, major electricity‑consuming businesses and government offices. The ministry also asked each locality to set specific rooftop‑solar targets.

Assigning clear rooftop‑solar targets to local authorities is intended to close the gap between potential and actual capacity. By boosting solar deployment, Vietnam hopes to relieve the strain on its power system and meet growing electricity demand in the coming years.