Sri Lanka’s solar industry has called on the government to revoke a Ministry of Energy circular that ends the Net Metering and Net Accounting schemes for new rooftop solar connections, industry representatives said at a panel discussion in Colombo on Thursday.
The circular, issued on 11 September, requires new connections and extensions of existing agreements to use the Net Plus scheme. It also cuts the maximum agreement period from 20 years to 12 years.
Industry representatives said a 5 kW household system producing about 550 units would earn roughly Rs. 13,000 under Net Plus, while the same household would pay about Rs. 47,000 to Rs. 48,000 for 550 units from the grid. They said this weakens the case for installing solar.
More than 2,600 MW of rooftop solar is connected to the grid. Industry figures put the sector at over 800 companies, more than 21,000 jobs and about 166,000 consumers with bank loans for solar systems.
The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka and the National System Operator have warned of a possible electricity shortfall of 450 MWh in the first half of 2027.
The National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka has asked for the 11 September directive to be revoked.
