Indonesia has the largest economy in Southeast Asia and is bang in the middle of the so-called Sunbelt, the central strip of countries circling the globe where solar resources are reckoned to be the best. Yet despite enjoying these two crucial preconditions for exploitation of the sun’s energy, Indonesia’s PV market has yet to take off in any serious way.

But that could all be about to change. Last month, at the G20 summit in Brisbane, Indonesia’s newly elected prime minister, Joko Widodo, announced plans that could jump start a solar industry in the Southeast Asian island nation.

M Rusydi, director of solar developer, the Solar Guys International (SGI) Mitabu Australia, told the audience at this year’s Solar Energy South East Asia (SESEA) event held in Bangkok late last month, that the new president has announced a 35GW power plan, to include 20% renewables – of which 20% will be solar.