Title: Feed-in tariffs for solar energy in Thailand

Authors: Christoph Casimir Odermatt

Addresses: Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Road, WangMai, PathumWan, 1033, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract: Feed-in tariffs for solar power have been in effect in Thailand for a couple of years. Their costs of different levels of solar power installations from 2016 to 2036 are compared. The results are expressed in the Ft value which is the variable part of the Thai electricity tariff. The Ft values either feature learning or no learning and these two values are calculated accrued or discounted. Three scenarios are compared against the development plan: a non-solar, a medium, and a boom scenario. The no solar scenario shows that the government subsidises abatement. A learning scenario should replace the limit on FiT subsidised solar power, since lowering the feed-in tariff over time in line with lower levelised costs for solar power keeps the total subsidy in check. This could be applied to other countries that start with a low level of solar power installations.

Keywords: solar subsidies; feed-in tariff; levelised costs of electricity; renewable energy; government policy analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEPEE.2023.136305

International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies, 2023 Vol.18 No.3/4, pp.363 - 380

Received: 30 Dec 2019
Accepted: 15 Aug 2020
Published online: 30 Jan 2024 *

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