News

This week in ASEAN, Indonesia’s B50 biodiesel strategy is reshaping its fuel market as the country plans to convert surplus diesel into aviation fuel, while Thailand reviews legacy renewable power contracts amid declining solar costs.

Australia is exploring balcony solar as a way to expand clean energy access for renters and apartment residents. While the technology could cut electricity bills, legal and technical barriers remain.

Philippines imported 4+ GW of Chinese solar in Jan–Apr 2026, driven by 17% Meralco price hikes cutting payback to 3.1 years. Huawei and Sungrow now supply 70–80% of Southeast Asian inverter demand.

This week in ASEAN, Singapore and Indonesia took another step toward deeper regional energy integration by advancing cross-border electricity trade, while Vietnam pressed ahead with power market reforms to support rooftop solar and battery storage.

ASEW Bangkok 2026 brought 350+ exhibitors with 150+ from China. Taiwan's AcBel, Neopower, URECO, and Delta Electronics Thailand targeted data centers, EV fleets, and rooftop solar procurement gaps.

Clean power added more to global energy supplies than any other source in 2025, according to the latest Energy Institute statistical review of world energy.

60% of ASEAN oil imports come from the Middle East. Indonesia spends USD 2–3B annually on biodiesel subsidies while Malaysia's Solar ATAP replaces NEM—but conflicting carbon tax and gas subsidy signals remain.

Aurora Energy Research projects Singapore's Indonesian solar imports will cost SGD 240–340/MWh vs SGD 170 in wholesale revenue. REC prices peak near SGD 60 in 2026, then fall below SGD 20 by 2031.

For years, builders and developers have treated “sustainable” homes as someone else’s problem. The new research reveals developers could actually make a bigger profit than they do now from new home builds that include more sustainability features.

Indonesia’s plan to generate 100 GW of solar energy is laudable. However, there are serious concerns about implementation.