Thailand Residential and B2B Solar Rooftop Installations, Forecast to 2026

The study covers a macro assessment, market segmentation and sizing, assessment of competitors, value chain analysis, and growth opportunities for rooftop solar photovoltaic installations for residential and non-residential (defined as business-to-business [B2B]) buildings in Thailand.

Commercial and industrial building segments are the most attractive sub-segments of B2B installation of rootop solar photovoltaic (PV). Most commercial and industrial buildings in Thailand currently are under-penetrated in this market as these buildings are not utilizing the available roof area. In perspective, commercial sector is the most attractive sector with the consideration of large existing shopping malls and growth in large commercial real estate. Industrial sector is the second most attractive sector with strong expected industrial estate development in Thailand. Residential buildings are likely to offer less space for solar rooftop PV as it affects the building aesthetics.

The value chain comprises of upstream (Ingots and Wafer plant to PV panel suppliers) and downstream activities (from distributors to installation services). Modules are clusters of PV cells incorporated into a unit usually under a sheet of glass. Balance of Systems (BoS) typically comprises of inverters, batteries, meters, switches, and the cables. A mounting structure’s purpose is to hold the modules together. Also, tracking systems can be used to optimize the angle of the PV module relative to the sun, increasing the yields by 25% to 40%. System integration is the overall engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the value chain components in a rooftop solar deployment. Related activities in the value chain include O&M service, which is required for the running of the solar panels.

Three major market participants are also profiled in this study. Profile information includes products/service, clients, direct subsidiaries, unique selling points, key plans, and SWOT analysis.

EPC is a common business model and also entity type in this market. An EPC normally engages in three activities: engineering design of solar PV rooftop system in addition to procurement of labor and equipment, supplies for the installation and commissioning of solar PV rooftop system, and the construction or installation of solar PV rooftop system. Electrical contractors and small-scale construction contractors can easily include solar PV rooftop EPC as their additional service. Foreign companies tend to not participate directly in this market but rather outsource the installation work to local EPCs. EPC with ties to PV manufacturers would prefer to focus on large rooftop solar projects.

Growth opportunities in this market include selection of right business models based on customer segment focus or building type focus, and strategic partnerships.

Author: Melvin Leong