Energy Commission (ST) has published the new Guidelines for the Solar Accelerated Transition Action Programme (ATAP) on its official website slightly earlier than previously announced. Solar ATAP is the new underlying policy that determines how consumers can benefit from their rooftop solar system.
Open for registration starting from 1 January 2026, Solar ATAP is the successor to the Net Energy Metering (NEM) 3.0, which has been phased out at the end of June this year. While the general mechanism might be the same, there are several major differences between them.
Solar ATAP vs. NEM 3.0: What are the differences?
Solar ATAP is still using the same energy offset concept as per NEM 3.0. However, where exactly the offset takes place is one of the major factors that set them apart.
The new guidelines from ST have confirmed that Solar ATAP for domestic users will not offer a true 1-to-1 offset, as it will only cover the Energy Charge. As a comparison, NEM 3.0 covered Energy, Capacity, and Network Charges.
Under Solar ATAP, any unused energy offset credit will be forfeited at the end of each billing period. This is unlike NEM 3.0, whereby the unused credits would roll over for up to 12 months until the credit pool is reset at the beginning of a new year.
The new Solar ATAP guidelines from ST have also confirmed that the installed capacity of the solar system for domestic customers with a 3-phase wiring system has been increased from 12.5kW to 15kW. For users with a 1-phase wiring system, the capacity remains at 5kW.
Just like NEM 3.0, Solar ATAP has a 10-year contract attached to it. Similarly, users have to operate their solar system under the self-consumption (SELCO) mechanism once the contract period is over.
Last but not least, there is no fixed quota for Solar ATAP. During the NEM 3.0 era, the authorities imposed a 700MW quota for NEM Rakyat as well as 1,700MW for non-domestic users, which have a NEM policy of their own called Net Offset Virtual Aggregation (NOVA).
Speaking of non-domestic users, their Solar ATAP offset credit will continue to be based on the Average System Marginal Price (SMP), just like NEM’s NOVA. However, the maximum capacity of their solar system has been increased to 100% of the maximum demand of their existing installation, although it is capped at 1,000kW.
