Solar ATAP Malaysia: Guide for Homes & Businesses
Solar ATAP is the Solar Accelerated Transition Action Programme. It is the current consumer rooftop solar programme for Peninsular Malaysia, effective 1 January 2026, under Energy Commission guideline GP/ST/No. 60/2025. SEDA Malaysia administers it. TNB is the electricity utility. Net Energy Metering (NEM) is the previous programme, not the current default path for new applications.
Capacity limits, fees and credit rules below are taken from GP/ST/No. 60/2025. They can change. Confirm the live guideline with SEDA Malaysia and TNB before you rely on a number. Official SEDA guideline (PDF).
What is Solar ATAP?
Solar ATAP (Solar Accelerated Transition Action Programme) lets eligible TNB consumers install rooftop solar PV mainly for their own use. Surplus energy can be exported to the distribution system. Domestic consumers receive bill credits based on the Energy Charge component of the tariff. Non-domestic consumers receive credits based on Average System Marginal Price (SMP).
The design goal in the guideline is a cost-neutral mechanism: export is credited on the energy component, not as a full retail offset of every tariff line. That is a deliberate change from how many people remember NEM.
The programme applies in Peninsular Malaysia. It is not described here as a Sabah or Sarawak scheme.
Who is eligible?
The applicant must already be a TNB consumer. Multi-tenant occupiers (separate landlord and tenant supplies in one premise) are not eligible. A consumer who is also a generator in the co-generation or back-feed sense is not eligible.
Existing NEM or self-consumption customers may move to Solar ATAP only if they terminate the current contract and meet the new guideline. Do not assume an old NEM contract continues unchanged.
- Existing TNB account at the premise
- Not a multi-tenant consumer
- Not an excluded generator category
- Existing NEM/self-consumption contracts must be closed first if you are switching
Solar ATAP for residential properties
Domestic consumers: default maximum capacity is 5 kW on single phase and 15 kW on three phase. Larger domestic systems are subject to a Connection Confirmation Check (CCC) by TNB.
Landed homes with a dedicated roof are the usual residential path. Stratified apartments generally cannot treat a shared roof as an individual Solar ATAP site without the proper building authority.
Domestic export credit uses the applicable energy charge component of the tnb tariff. Self-consumed solar still avoids imported kWh, which can affect more of the bill than export credit alone.
Solar ATAP for commercial properties
Non-domestic capacity is based on Up to 100% of Maximum Demand, subject to network assessment, and must not exceed 1000 kW. Network studies can reduce what is actually approved.
Non-domestic export credit uses Average System Marginal Price (SMP) for 07:00–19:00 in the preceding calendar month. Average SMP is published by the Single Buyer. Do not treat a screenshot of last month’s SMP as a guaranteed rate.
Factories, warehouses, retail, offices and F&B sites with a dedicated TNB account and a roof in the same compound (including eligible solar carparks) can be discussed. Multi-tenant buildings remain excluded.
How the application process works
Applications are submitted to SEDA Malaysia with the forms and documents they require. The guideline states the application should be completed within 3 months of submission or it may be rejected.
An application fee of RM7.50 per kW is payable with the application on SEDA’s advice. Fees are described as non-refundable whether the file is approved or not.
Inhome Solar prepares Solar ATAP application and TNB documentation as part of an installation job. Approval remains with the authorities.
TNB documentation
TNB is the Electricity Utility Company (EUC) in the guideline. Interconnection, metering and billing sit with TNB. A bi-directional meter measures import and export. A PV meter measures generation, including associated batteries if installed.
The ATAP contract is described as commencing when TNB installs the meter. After commissioning, a commencement notice goes to SEDA Malaysia.
Technical assessment requirements
Depending on capacity and voltage, TNB or the Grid Owner may require a Connection Confirmation Check (CCC), a Connection Assessment Study (CAS) and/or a Power System Study (PSS).
Smaller domestic systems within the default kW caps may proceed without a study. Crossing those caps, or proposing larger non-domestic injection, can trigger CCC, CAS or PSS and associated fees. Use the live guideline tables; they are more detailed than this summary.
Solar system sizing
Size the array for the load you actually use in daylight, the roof, and the account type. Oversizing can increase midday export that is then forfeited if it exceeds imported energy or MAQ in that billing period.
Exported energy in a billing period is limited by Maximum Allowable Quantity (MAQ): capacity (kWac) × 5 sun hours × billing period days, and cannot exceed energy imported in that period.
A residential bill-based calculator is only indicative. Commercial sizing needs Maximum Demand records.
Exporting solar energy
Export is allowed for eligible consumers, within MAQ and not above energy imported in the same billing period. Unused credit is not paid in cash and does not carry forward. A negative bill is adjusted to zero.
Domestic credit: Applicable Energy Charge component of the TNB tariff. Non-domestic credit: Average System Marginal Price (SMP) for 07:00–19:00 in the preceding calendar month. Imported energy can still attract SST, KWTBB, AFA and other tariff components as applicable.
That is why self-consumption during the day usually does more work than chasing export volume.
Solar ATAP vs previous NEM programme
NEM (Net Energy Metering) was the earlier consumer scheme. Solar ATAP is the current programme from 1 January 2026. Do not file a new job as if NEM 3.0 were still the live product.
Typical differences people need to plan for: export is credited on the energy component (Energy Charge or Average SMP), not as a full like-for-like offset of every charge; credits do not bank across billing periods; capacity rules and studies are those in GP/ST/No. 60/2025.
After 10 years from commencement, the guideline says the installation may continue as self-consumption only, under the separate self-consumption guidelines.
Installation process
Survey the roof and electrical board, freeze the kWp and layout, file Solar ATAP and TNB documents, then install mounting, modules, inverter and cabling. Testing, commissioning and meter works complete a grid-connected system.
Physical installation on a house is often shorter than the documentation window around it. See the installation process page for the build sequence.
Estimated timeline
There is no single guaranteed calendar. Application completeness, CCC/CAS/PSS if required, material lead times and TNB metering all move independently.
Inhome Solar’s catalogue process copy currently mentions a SEDA/TNB application window on the order of a few weeks as a planning illustration, then materials after approval. Treat that as operational guidance, not an authority SLA.
Get a solar assessment
Inhome Solar supports Solar ATAP application and TNB documentation as part of residential and commercial installation. Send a recent bill and roof photos if you want the site checked.
Common questions
What is Solar ATAP?
Solar ATAP is the Solar Accelerated Transition Action Programme for Peninsular Malaysia. It replaced Net Energy Metering as the current consumer rooftop programme from 1 January 2026. Homes and businesses use solar first for their own load and may receive bill credits for eligible exported energy in the same billing period.
Can I export excess solar electricity?
Eligible Solar ATAP consumers can export surplus energy to TNB within programme limits. Domestic credits use the Energy Charge component; non-domestic credits use Average SMP. Excess above imported energy or MAQ in that billing period is forfeited.
Can solar reduce my TNB bill?
Solar used on site can reduce imported electricity. Exported energy may earn a bill credit under Solar ATAP, with different rules for domestic and non-domestic accounts. Unused credit is not carried forward. Actual savings depend on usage pattern, tariff, weather and system size.
Do I need a battery?
A battery is optional. Many on-grid Solar ATAP systems operate without storage and rely on self-consumption plus export credits. Storage can shift energy into the evening but adds cost and design complexity. It is a site-specific decision.