Solar Industries Association (SIA) Urges Fair Policies to Protect SL’s Rooftop Solar Industry from Unjust Claims and Unstable Tariffs

By Huzefa Aliasger 

The Solar Industries Association (SIA) representing over 1,000 companies and 40,000 workers in Sri Lanka’s rooftop solar sector in a media release mentioned that they strongly condemns recent developments that threaten the industry’s future and the nation’s renewable energy goals.

The Solar Industries Association’s media report further mentions that they refute the Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) claim that rooftop solar installations were responsible for the recent island-wide power failure.” This assertion is false and misleading. We call for an independent expert committee, appointed by the Ministry or the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), to conduct a transparent and balanced investigation into the incident. The CEB’s unilateral accusations erode public trust and misdirect accountability.”

The media release further mentions that the frequent and drastic tariff fluctuations, as proposed, will undermine investor confidence, discourage new investments, threaten the stability of over 100,000 projects owned by middle-class homeowners and lead to job losses within a 40,000-strong workforce.

Proposed tariff reductions threaten the collapse of the industry, comprising over 1,000 SMEs and 40,000 workers. This would have severe economic and social repercussions, impacting employment, investment, and energy security, the SIA mentions.
The SIA says a tariff system solely based on an equation is impractical and proposes that Sri Lanka urgently needs a stable and predictable policy framework to encourage long-term investments in rooftop solar.