The Cabinet of Ministers has approved agreements to finance the “Grid‑Based Rooftop Solar Power and Virtual Net Meter Reading” project, identified as a priority initiative to expand small‑ and medium‑scale renewable energy.

Under the resolution presented by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Sri Lanka will obtain:

• US$35 million loan from the concessional general capital resources of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
• EUR 15.4 million grant from the European Union (EU)
• US$5.5 million grant from the Japanese Fund for the Joint Credit Mechanism

The project aims to provide solutions for the effective use and distribution of solar energy by independent power producers, while strengthening the country’s renewable energy framework.

Negotiations with the ADB, EU, and Japanese Fund were concluded following Cabinet approval in November 2025 to pursue financing. 

According to the government, the initiative will improve efficiency in rooftop solar deployment and support Sri Lanka’s long‑term renewable energy goals. (Newswire)

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Owners of rooftop solar systems with a capacity of 300 kW and above have been requested to disconnect from the national grid during daytime from June 27 to 29, Deputy Minister of Energy Arkam Ilyas told Parliament today.

Addressing the House, Ilyas said that the measures are being taken in view of the Poson Festival and to prevent a possible system collapse.

He said past governments had encouraged solar installations without establishing a proper monitoring mechanism, leaving the grid vulnerable during periods of excess supply. 

“We have around 250 large solar systems operating during the day. On holidays, more than required is supplied. During Vesak season, we had to switch off 120 feeders,” he noted.

The Deputy Minister warned that without monitoring, authorities cannot track how much power is being fed into the grid, raising the risk of a nationwide blackout. 

He revealed that over 2,200 customers currently operate rooftop solar systems above 100 kW.

To address the issue, the Government plans to install modems on such connections, enabling officials to control units and switch them off when necessary. 

Ilyas said the installations are expected to be completed by December this year. (Newswire)

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The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has requested rooftop solar system owners to voluntarily switch off their solar inverters today until 3:00 PM due to the significantly low demand observed in the system.

The CEB has made the appeal to ensure the reliable and stable operation of the national grid during this emergency situation. 

“Your support is sincerely appreciated in helping to ensure a continuous and secure power supply for the entire nation,” it added. 

The request comes as power supply has been severely affected due to the inclement weather experienced in Sri Lanka. (Newswire)

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The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) says it has reached 1,700 MW of installed rooftop solar capacity nationwide.

The CEB said the figures reported are as of 01 May 2025, issuing a statement thanking the public for their contribution. 

The CEB further highlighted that this shows the shift towards renewable energy by households, businesses, and institutions. (Newswire)

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The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has issued a notice making a special request to owners of rooftop solar panels.

According to the notice, owners have been requested to disconnect their solar panels during a specified time period.

As such, owners of rooftop solar panels have been informed that it is sufficient to disconnect the solar panels until 3 pm from today (16 Apr), only after receiving a request via SMS. 

The CEB has also extended its gratitude to the owners of rooftop solar panels who have extended their support in the last few days. 

Owners of rooftop solar panels were requested to switch off their solar systems during daytime hours from 13 -21 April in order for the CEB to balance the National Grid due to less electricity consumption during the New Year holiday season. (Newswire)

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Former Minister Ali Sabry has questioned the government’s motives behind the proposed reduction in rooftop solar feed-in tariffs, highlighting that it only helps those benefiting from crises and not the public. 

In a post on Facebook, Ali Sabry pointed out that in 2023, 52% of Sri Lanka’s electricity came from Thermal power burning oil and coal, stating that it was at a staggering cost of Rs. 407.5 billion, which was 87% of the total generation cost.

He went on to note that 48% of the electricity generated through renewable energy, such as large-hydro, solar, wind, and small-hydro, was received at a cost of Rs. 63.1 billion, which was only 13% of the total cost.

“Almost half the electricity at a fraction of the cost. Yet, policies are being introduced that disincentivise rooftop solar, such as drastically reducing the tariff paid for solar units. Who does that help?” he questioned.

Ali Sabry pointed out that this move benefits only the Diesel Mafia, those who profit from Sri Lanka’s dependency on imported fossil fuels.

He further urged the government to consider holding back on their reduction until thermal power is phased out, which he hinted was a long way to go.

Stating whether the government was serious about reducing electricity bills, building energy independence, and protecting the environment, the former minister made the following three key suggestions

• Promote rooftop solar, not punish those who invest in it.
• Encourage more private investment in wind, solar, and small hydro.
• Phase out costly Thermal power, which is bleeding our economy.

Emphasizing that this was not just an energy issue, but a national issue, Ali Sabry said if the government was truly national-minded, it would stand with low-cost, clean energy. 

“You stand with the people. You stand against vested interests that profit from crisis and dependency. Let’s make choices that empower the nation, not a few,” he added. (Newswire) 

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Cabinet approval has been granted to implement the project to initiate the generation of electricity via rooftop solar panels at railway stations as a public-private partnership project.

According to the government, there are more than 300 stations owned by Sri Lanka Railways and it has been identified as appropriate to initiate the project for electricity generation via solar panels on the roofs of railway stations. 

As such, the Cabinet approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport and Highways to take the necessary steps to implement the said projects as a public-private partnership project.

Addressing the media today, Cabinet Spokesman and Minister of Transport Bandula Gunawardena said the government will call for expressions of interest for public-private partnerships for the project to be implemented in railway stations islandwide.

He further said as areas in the north and east, and also to the south in Hambanthota receive a lot of sunlight it would be advantageous for the Railways if a profit could be made with solar panels on the roofs of stations.

Stating that the Cabinet approved his proposal to call for tenders for public-private partnerships, he said previous expressions of interest will be disregarded and new ones will be called instead. 

The measure is seen as part of the state-owned Sri Lanka Railways exploration of new avenues to boost its revenue. (Newswire)

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The Cabinet of Ministers has approved revising the tariff rates paid for New Rooftop Solar and Renewable Energy projects through the feed-in tariff (FIT) system, Minister of Power & Energy Kanchana Wijesekera announced.

Taking to ‘X’, Minister Wijesekera said a formula was adopted in 2022 taking into consideration the USD rate, interest rates and other economic factors to revise the tariff rates and increase the rates paid for Rooftop Solar development and the feed-in tariff (FIT) system for other Renewable Energy development of less than 10MW. 

The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved the proposal by the Ministry of Power & Energy based on the stakeholder consultations and tariff committee report to revise the rates utilizing the same formula with the current economic indicators and benchmarking on rates received on competitive bidding and negotiated tariff projects for the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in 2024. 

Accordingly, the revised tariff rates for Rooftop Solar Development and Renewable Energy feed-in tariff will be applied to all new projects from July 01, 2024.

According to Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, the revised tariff rates are as follows;

• Revised Rooftop Tariff – 20 Years flat rate 

Up to 500kW -Rs 27.06 

Over 500kW – Rs 23.18 

• Revised feed-in tariff – 20 years flat rate 

Solar – Rs 25.48

Mini Hydro – Rs 30.53

Wind – Rs 29.86

Bio Mass – Rs 52.77 (Newswire)

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Nearly 630 GWh were added to the national grid in 2023 under the rooftop solar panel installation project implemented by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

Issuing a statement, the CEB said that electricity consumers from across Sri Lanka have supported this unique national cause.

The CEB further appreciated consumers for turning to selling electricity to the national grid through the new technical experience, and away from the traditional method of using electricity. (NewsWire)

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The survey on the identification of government buildings and religious institutes for the project to fix rooftop solar panels will be completed by 15th April, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said.

Minister Wijesekera stated that a meeting was held to review the progress of the ongoing project which is being implemented with the assistance of a USD 100 million credit line from the Government of India. 

The minister further stated that 90% of the surveys have been completed on identifying national schools, universities, technical colleges, teaching schools, armed forces buildings, police stations, religious institutes of all religions that have no income, and other government buildings. 

Stating that the surveys are to be completed by 15th April 2023, Minister Wijesekera stated that the tender and procurement process is being conducted by the Exim Bank of India. (NewsWire)

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