Indonesia solar leaders look to Pakistan and ASEAN for growth lessons

At New York Climate Week, Indonesian solar leaders said Pakistan's rooftop boom and ASEAN investment models offer a roadmap for scaling Indonesia's 100 GWp solar program. The forum focused on policy certainty, grid readiness and market mechanisms that could speed investment and deployment.

Why it matters: - Indonesia is trying to scale a 100 GWp solar program. - Lessons from Pakistan and ASEAN could help Indonesia avoid grid, policy and financing problems that slow renewable buildouts. - A faster, more predictable market could draw more private capital into Indonesian solar.

What happened: - AESI, IIPC New York, Tenggara Strategics and SANARA hosted the Indonesia Solar Investment Forum during New York Climate Week in New York City. - The session, “Accelerating Solar Energy in Emerging Economies,” brought together international business councils and regional solar associations. - Speakers discussed how Southeast Asian markets and Pakistan have grown solar adoption in emerging economies.

The details: - Waqas Moosa, director of the Pakistan Solar Association, said Pakistan's solar expansion has been driven by distributed generation, rooftop systems, private investment and consumer demand. - Moosa said that rapid growth also created challenges in grid integration, regulation and long-term system stability. - Mario Masaya, vice president at the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, said international investors look for regulatory certainty, transparent procurement and strong grid infrastructure before committing capital. - Masaya said Indonesia can use lessons from ASEAN neighbors to make its renewable energy market more scalable and competitive. - AESI said it is working with government and industry stakeholders through task forces focused on IPP development, rooftop solar, the 100 GWp program and workforce development. - AESI said Indonesia still needs a final regulatory framework, a transparent multi-year project pipeline and market mechanisms that support commercial and rooftop solar growth. - Mada Ayu Habsari, chairwoman of AESI, said Indonesia reached 1.5 GWp of solar rooftop capacity in two years. - Habsari said AESI is helping the government build a single billing platform with PLN so industries and households can access solar energy without complex multi-year commitments.

Between the lines: - Pakistan's experience suggests that fast solar growth can outpace grid and regulatory readiness. - For Indonesia, the bigger challenge is not only adding capacity but also building rules and infrastructure that let the market scale cleanly. - The forum framed regional cooperation as a way to shorten Indonesia's learning curve and improve investor confidence.

What's next: - AESI and its partners will keep pressing for clearer regulations, stronger project visibility and market tools that support rooftop and commercial solar. - Indonesia's ability to hit its 100 GWp target will likely depend on whether policy, grid access and investment conditions improve at the same pace as demand.

The bottom line: - Indonesia's solar push is no longer just about ambition; it is about copying what works regionally and avoiding the bottlenecks that slowed others.