On 11 March 2025, GIZ, in collaboration with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), organised the second Dissemination Workshop on the development of the ‘Solar PV Rooftop Guidebook for Bangkok’ at the Grand Ballroom, Eastin Grand Hotel Phayathai, Bangkok. Representatives from relevant agencies and sectors were invited, including the private sector, civil society and the general public, to view the first draft of the guidebook for an exchange of perspectives and feedback to further develop the complete version.

The event was officially opened by Pornphrom Vikitsreth, Advisor to the Governor of Bangkok, alongside Bangkok’s sustainability executives and Insa Illgen, Director of Thai-German Cooperation on Energy, Mobility, and Climate (TGC EMC) from GIZ.

The workshop brought together key stakeholders from various sectors, including government agencies such as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA), which oversees electricity distribution, and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), responsible for licensing energy businesses. Representatives from the private sector, civil society, and the general public also attended the workshop to review and discuss the draft guidebook.

The new Solar PV Rooftop Guidebook is a collaboration between the BMA and the TGC EMC project implemented by GIZ, covering fundamental knowledge of solar energy, installation guidelines, equipment selection, and the approval processes required by relevant authorities.

With the aim of garnering feedback on the draft version of the guidebook, this dissemination workshop featured presentations by experts in solar energy to provide key insights on solar PV rooftop concepts, processes, and other relevant topics in relation to installation in urban areas – particularly Bangkok. Following the plenary session was an interactive workshop where participants engaged with the guidebook development team and shared their feedback to further refine the book.

(Left) Thachatat Kuravakul Project Manager, TGC EMC Renewable Energy Component, and (right) Ultimate Tiamsa-ard, Solar Energy Specialist, presented their insights on solar PV rooftops and TGC EMC, respectively.

The event also introduced the ‘Bangkok Solar City’ website, aiming to support and promote solar adoption across the city, presented by representatives from Greener Bangkok, the online centre for sustainability information in Bangkok, and Boonmee Lab, the web design company. The guidebook and the Bangkok Solar City website are expected to be officially launched in June 2025.

Funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) under Germany’s Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), the TGC EMC project supports Thailand’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050. Through its five components – Renewable Energy, Transport, Decarbonisation in Industry, Biomass, and Climate Finance, TGC EMC facilitates technology transfer, policy development, and business model innovation through a sector-coupling approach.