Solar power development at Yen Binh Industrial Park

Ample room for growth from industrial parks and clusters

Thai Nguyen is a locality with a fast pace of industrial development, home to numerous active industrial parks and clusters and hundreds of manufacturing enterprises in electronics, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, processing, construction materials, supporting industries, and other fields. Under the adjusted Provincial Master Plan for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, the province has planned 18,024 hectares of industrial land, laying the foundation for expanding production space as well as energy demand in the coming years.

A distinctive feature of factories and production workshops is their large roof area, with structures mainly made of steel frames and corrugated iron roofing, which is relatively favorable for installing solar power systems. Notably, the electricity load of most businesses is concentrated during the day, coinciding with the time when solar power systems generate high output. This allows businesses to directly use most of the electricity generated on-site, reducing the amount of electricity purchased from the grid and improving investment efficiency.

According to preliminary data compiled by the Department of Industry and Trade, the potential for developing rooftop solar power combined with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) at the industrial parks and clusters already established in the province is approximately 1,623 MW by 2030. Active industrial parks and clusters alone are capable of deploying about 579 MW. Meanwhile, as of June 30, 2026, the total capacity of rooftop solar power combined with BESS at industrial parks and clusters had reached only about 20.56 MW, showing that there is still very large room for development.

Businesses proactively pursuing energy transition

In practice, rooftop solar power at industrial parks and clusters in the province has begun to form models of considerable scale. At Yen Binh Industrial Park, Trina Solar Energy Development Co., Ltd. has invested in a solar power system with a capacity of about 11.39 MW, currently one of the largest systems at industrial parks and clusters in the province.

Making use of factory roof space to generate electricity on-site both helps meet production needs and aligns with the trend of using renewable energy among businesses targeting international markets.

TNG Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company developing a rooftop solar power system

TNG Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company is one of the businesses that have proactively rolled out rooftop solar power. To date, TNG has 4 rooftop solar power projects connected to the national grid at TNG Viet Duc, Viet Thai, Song Cong 1 and Phu Binh 2, with a combined capacity of 4.11 MW. In the first half of 2026, these systems generated about 1.52 million kWh of electricity, meeting about 9% of total electricity consumption demand. Increasing the share of renewable energy not only helps the company use energy more efficiently but also meets the increasingly high requirements on emission reduction, green production and sustainable development from international partners and customers.

At Diem Thuy Industrial Park - Zone A, Young Diecasting Vina Company Limited has also invested in a rooftop solar power system with a capacity of about 1.31 MW. This is one of the models showing that factory roof infrastructure can be used to supplement clean electricity sources, reduce energy costs and move toward sustainable production.

Notably, the growth rate of rooftop solar power at industrial parks is showing a clear increase. Capacity reached about 3.52 MW in 2025, while the first half of 2026 alone reached about 13.30 MW. This result shows that as economic efficiency and the requirements for green energy become increasingly clear, businesses are becoming more proactive in energy transition.

Toward the goal of a green energy transition

For businesses, the direct benefit of rooftop solar power is reducing electricity purchase costs, especially as energy demand for production continues to rise. Combining it with BESS also helps optimize solar power output, improve the ability to use on-site electricity, and increase proactiveness in energy management.

For FDI enterprises and businesses participating in global supply chains, the value of green energy is even greater. International corporations and partners are increasingly focused on reducing carbon emissions, using renewable energy, and meeting environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. Therefore, developing rooftop solar power not only helps cut costs but also helps improve competitiveness and expand opportunities to participate more deeply in global value chains.

However, most of the factory roof area at industrial parks and clusters in the province remains untapped. Initial investment costs, and requirements on structural safety, fire prevention and fighting, construction, environment, grid connection, and the mechanism for using surplus electricity output, remain issues that businesses need to consider.

TNG Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company striving to reach a cumulative capacity of 25,975 kWp by 2030

In this context, the province's target of bringing over 80% of eligible factory roof area at industrial parks and clusters into use by 2030 reflects a shift from small, scattered models toward developing rooftop solar power on a larger, more coordinated scale. Together with improving mechanisms and policies and removing difficulties in the investment process, clean energy sources will be developed right at the point of consumption, helping to improve energy use efficiency.

At the Conference on Rooftop Solar Power Development in the Province, Comrade Vuong Quoc Tuan, Member of the Party Central Executive Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, emphasized that promoting the development of rooftop solar power is regarded as an urgent national trend to meet international environmental standards. In the coming period, the province will pursue clean energy alongside conventional energy sources in parallel to ensure sufficient capacity for economic development. Developing rooftop solar power is not only a task for the province but also an inherent need of businesses themselves. With resolute direction and specific support mechanisms, the province expects to generate a strong wave of energy transition, helping to complete renewable energy targets and green economic development goals early.

With the advantages of industrial scale, large electricity load demand and an ever-expanding network of factories, rooftops at industrial parks and clusters are becoming a new “energy resource”. Effectively tapping this resource will help reduce pressure on the power grid, enhance businesses' energy self-sufficiency and, more importantly, lay the foundation for Thai Nguyen's industry to develop in a green, sustainable direction, better meeting the new requirements of domestic and international markets.