China's solar tech companies eye for Indonesian market

Solartech Indonesia 2025, a large trade exhibition for solar energy and photovoltaic technology in the ASEAN region, ended on Friday. Chinese exhibitors attracted attention for their cutting-edge technologies while expressed optimism in expanding market and building green partnerships in the region.

"As the largest economy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia's energy transition presents substantial market opportunities, particularly in rooftop solar systems and energy storage, which show significant growth potential," said Allen Fu, a sales manager with Jinko Solar, one of the world's largest solar module manufacturers.

Indonesia is an ideal country for solar energy development as it locates on the equator, which allows it to receive sunlight almost all day and year round.

The Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has given its permission for the development of rooftop solar power plants (rooftop PLTS) to state-owned PT PLN. The development project also has a quota with a capacity up to 5,746 megawatts (MW) during the period of 2024-2028.

By 2030, Indonesia is also targeting the addition of 4.68 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity and aiming to source 51.6 percent of its added power capacity from renewable sources under a new national master plan.

Meanwhile, Chinese photovoltaic solar companies, according to Fu, have a technological and manufacturing advantage, and Jinko Solar has established production bases in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, with overseas revenue accounting for 70 percent of its total.

Dyness Digital Energy Technology showcased energy storage solutions for residential areas, remote regions, and island nations, which are particularly suitable for eastern Indonesia, where the main electricity grid is not available.

"With over 17,000 islands, Indonesia faces challenges in providing stable power supply, and photovoltaic solar energy is a promising renewable solution with significant market potential supported by the government's Net Zero Emissions target by 2060," said Viki Yang, general manager of Asia Pacific at Dyness.

Seeing Indonesia as a potential market and a strategic location for production bases, Jolywood Sunwatt brought to the exhibition photovoltaic backsheets and films, protective layers for solar panels, saying the company plans to build a factory here.

"We want to invest our resources, money, and technical staff in Indonesia to target the potential market in this country and satisfy overseas customers," said Rubin Wu, overseas director of Jolywood Sunwatt.

Several visitors expressed their enthusiasm for Chinese solar technologies. Adelia, a business development staff member at a renewable energy product distribution company in Indonesia, was interested in exploring new opportunities and offering the latest renewable technology products from China to its clients.

"Chinese companies have many renewable energy technologies, which are high-quality and affordable. They are leaders in this field," said Adelia.

Jefri Kelana, director of Trisindo Solar Jaya, a solar technology product distributor, said the renewable energy market in Indonesia is very large, as less than 10 percent of the population uses it.