One of the questions we hear most on WhatsApp: "can I sell extra solar power back to PLN?" Through 2023, the answer was yes, through the export-import (eksim) net metering scheme that paid 65% of the retail tariff. Now? Unfortunately, no longer for residential. Permen ESDM No. 2/2024 removed the entire mechanism.
If you Google "net metering Indonesia" or "eksim PLN" in 2026, most articles still mention the old 65% credit. That information is outdated. If you install solar expecting export credit, you'll be disappointed. This article explains the current rules, plus the practical implications for your home's sizing and ROI.
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TL;DR
- Net metering at 65% tariff: ended for residential under Permen ESDM 2/2024.
- New rule: zero-export. Surplus solar production flowing to PLN earns zero credit, passes through to the grid with no compensation.
- Sizing implication: target 100% self-consumption. Don't oversize.
- Quota per area: PLN can deny a rooftop solar PV application if your local distribution transformer is full.
- Self-consumption is still worth it: offsetting your own PLN bill produces meaningful savings, with payback at 5 to 8 years for a typical residential profile.
- Looking to earn from exports? Only business categories (B-2, B-3) still get partial export credit. Residential (R-1) doesn't.
What net metering was, and why it ended
Net metering (or eksim, export-import) compensated homeowners for excess solar production. Surplus kWh flowing to the PLN grid was recorded by a bidirectional meter and converted to bill credit. Under Permen 49/2018, the credit was 1:1 (1 kWh exported = 1 kWh credit), then dropped to 65% under Permen 26/2021.
Permen ESDM 2/2024, effective March 2024, removed this scheme for residential, citing policy reasons:
- PLN subsidy burden. Each export credit was a cross-subsidy: non-solar PLN customers absorbed the cost through higher tariffs.
- Production vs grid demand mismatch. Rooftop solar PV peaks midday, when grid demand is already covered. At evening peak, panels aren't producing.
- Push toward self-consumption. The government wants rooftop solar PV owners to size systems matched to their consumption, not dump excess to the grid.
Practical implications for your home
First, sizing has to change. The old rule incentivized slight oversizing (65% credit on surplus was meaningful). The new rule says surplus = waste. Sweet-spot sizing now hits 100% self-consumption during the day.
Typical: a 2200 VA home with a Rp 1.2 million monthly bill, sized at 2.5 to 3 kWp. Covers 60 to 75% of usage, no oversizing. Daytime production goes straight to load (AC, fridge, water pump, WFH equipment), small remainder uncompensated and factored out of ROI.
Second, nighttime-dominant usage is now more problematic. Empty house during the day (9-to-5 office, kids at school) means most production flows to the grid for nothing. Solution: add a battery (hybrid) to store daytime surplus for nighttime use, or accept a longer payback.
Third, rooftop solar PV registration through the PLN portal is still mandatory. Permen 2/2024 streamlined the process (7 to 14 working days target) but added a quota per distribution area. If your local transformer is at capacity, your application can be rejected or waitlisted.
Use the calculator for numbers specific to your home
Rooftop solar PV registration after 2024
Even without export credit, residential systems still need to register with PLN. An unregistered system is illegal and your grid connection can be cut if they find out.
Step 1: Online application through the PLN portal. Our partner technician team typically uploads documents: panel and inverter specs, single-line diagram, roof layout, ID, proof of ownership. PLN's SLA target: 7 to 14 working days.
Step 2: PLN technical survey + area quota check. A PLN technician verifies the connection point and checks transformer capacity. If full, you can be waitlisted or asked to install with hardware-enforced zero-export.
Step 3: Physical install + SLO inspection. After PLN approval, the installer puts the system in. The Operational Worthiness Certificate (SLO) follows, typically 1 to 2 weeks after install.
Step 4: System activation. After SLO and PLN confirm, the system is active and grid-connected. The bidirectional meter stays for technical monitoring, but its function is now just measuring current flow.
Total from application to active: realistically 5 to 10 weeks, depending on PLN workload.
When residential rooftop solar PV is still worth it after 2024
Even without export income, residential solar still makes sense for the right profile:
- PLN bill over Rp 1 million per month (60 to 75% offset gives Rp 600,000+ in monthly savings, payback 5 to 8 years).
- Daytime-dominant usage (WFH, AC during the day) so production gets consumed directly.
- Long-term residence plan (10+ years) so payback plus the panel's remaining 25-year design life produces a positive NPV.
- PLN tariffs trending up (and likely to keep rising due to subsidy reduction policies for non-450VA customers), making self-consumption a natural hedge.
If your profile checks these boxes, zero-export rooftop solar PV is still economically rational. If your usage is nighttime-dominant + your PLN bill is small + you don't plan to stay long, it might be worth waiting and watching for regulation revisions.
Frequently asked questions
Not as a residential customer. Permen ESDM 2/2024 ended the net metering / export-import scheme that previously credited 65% of the tariff. The current rule is zero-export: surplus production from your rooftop solar PV that flows to the grid earns no credit, it simply passes through. Post-2024 residential solar income comes only from self-consumption (offsetting your own PLN bill).
