What's the Deal with Solar Power in Thailand? [S5.E34]

Greg interviews Tristan Knowles, an Australian expat in
Thailand working for the Asian Development Bank, specializing in
infrastructure finance in the Mekong region, including
alternative energy such as solar power. 


Greg begins by asking the obvious question: Thailand is
practically constantly sunny, so why aren't there solar panels on
every rooftop? Tristan gives a detailed answer focusing on
incentives. Obviously there's an upfront cost to investing in
solar power, whether you are a residence or a business. Most
people need to be confident they will actually save money with
the transition, but without proper financing and help from the
government this is not always clear. So many early adopters in
Thailand do it for environmental reasons, even if it's not
economical compared to traditional sources of
energy. 


Next, Tristan discusses the relative success of Vietnam,
where the government has been more proactive in supporting
investments in solar power. According to Tristan, Vietnam
generates close to 10 times more electricity through solar than
Thailand, partly by paying generators more for the extra energy
they don't use themselves. This is probably good, because if it's
one thing Thailand hates, it's being #2 in Asia.


Last, Greg and Tristan discuss some of the nuts and bolts
requirements for going solar and the common obstacles that need
to be surpassed for solar to be more accepted. Unfortunately, the
simple take of "Hey this is a sunny country, perfect for solar!"
doesn't capture the reality of investment incentives and the
appropriate government regulations to make the transition a
reality. Luckily, things seem to be moving (slowly) in the right
direction. 


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