Solar100 Malaysia Solar Approval Guide

What Permits and Approvals Are Required for Solar Installation?

Updated: July 2026

The permits and approvals required for a Malaysian solar installation depend on the project’s location, customer category, electricity supply, system capacity, connection voltage, export arrangement, building type and whether structural or building work is required. A residential Solar ATAP project may involve SEDA application approval, TNB connection checks, competent-person certification, testing, commissioning and meter work, while larger commercial or industrial projects may require additional technical studies and Energy Commission licensing or exemption procedures.

Quick Answer A grid-connected solar project in Peninsular Malaysia will generally require an appropriate programme or utility application, technical drawings endorsed by qualified and competent persons, electrical installation by registered parties, testing and commissioning certification, and completion of the applicable metering and connection process. Depending on the project, additional requirements may include a TNB Connection Confirmation Check, Connection Assessment Study, Power System Study, Energy Commission generation licence or exemption notification, landlord or management consent, local-authority approval, structural certification and fire-safety compliance.

✓ SEDA-Related Standards Review

✓ SSM Registration Information Review

✓ Policy & Application Process Review

✓ After-Sales Support Assessment

✓ Consultation & Quotation Comparison

Which Solar Approvals May Be Required in Malaysia?

There is no single permit that applies identically to every solar installation. The approval pathway should first be identified according to how the system will operate and connect to the electricity supply.

Programme Approval

A consumer applying under Solar ATAP must complete the applicable SEDA programme application and obtain the required approval before proceeding through the remaining programme stages.

Utility Connection Approval

TNB or the relevant electricity utility may require a connection check, technical assessment, study, metering arrangement or other connection documentation.

Energy Commission Compliance

The installation must comply with electricity legislation and may require a generation licence, exemption procedure or submission of installation information.

Building and Property Consent

Local-authority, building-management, landlord, strata, structural, fire-safety or other property-related requirements may apply.

Project Type	Possible Main Approval Path	Possible Additional Requirements
Residential Solar ATAP	SEDA eATAP application and TNB connection process	Connection Confirmation Check for certain capacities, meter work, testing, commissioning and ST requirements
Commercial Solar ATAP	SEDA eATAP application and utility technical approval	Connection Assessment Study, Power System Study, licensing, structural and building requirements
Self-Consumption Solar	Compliance with Energy Commission SELCO requirements and utility technical conditions	Zero-export controls, connection assessment, licensing or exemption notification and commissioning certificates
Strata or Tenanted Property	Relevant solar approval pathway plus owner or management consent	Common-property approval, access rights, roof rights and contract arrangements
Complex Commercial or Industrial Project	Programme, utility and Energy Commission approval processes	Engineering studies, local-authority approval, fire-safety review, structural certification and insurance requirements

Do Not Begin Installation Based Only on a Sales Quotation: The provider should first identify the correct regulatory pathway, mandatory technical studies, required consent and the stage at which physical installation may legally and safely begin.

What Approval Is Required Under Solar ATAP?

The Solar Accelerated Transition Action Programme, or Solar ATAP, applies to eligible consumer-based solar installations in Peninsular Malaysia. Applications are made through SEDA Malaysia’s eATAP online system.

A Solar ATAP application may require information and documents covering:

Applicant profile
Electricity-consumer information
Project information
Proposed system capacity
Technical system information
Proposed work programme
MyKad or passport information
SSM registration information where applicable
Latest electricity bill
Single-line diagram
Competent-person endorsement
Qualified-person endorsement
Civil and structural drawing
Connection-check approval where required
Technical-study approval where required
Payment of the applicable application fee

Confirm Eligibility

Confirm that the consumer, electricity account, tariff category, property and proposed installation meet the applicable programme conditions.

Appoint the Relevant Provider

The applicant normally works with a registered solar PV service provider and the necessary qualified and competent persons.

Complete Technical Prerequisites

Obtain any required connection confirmation, connection assessment or power-system study before submitting the programme application.

Submit through eATAP

Submit the applicant, project, technical and supporting documents through the official online application system.

Receive Programme Approval

If the application satisfies the requirements, the relevant approval and electronic certificate may be issued.

Complete Connection and Commissioning

Installation, testing, commissioning, contract execution, meter work and commencement requirements must then be completed.

Programme Approval Is Not the Final Project Step: Solar ATAP approval is followed by installation, competent-person certification, testing, commissioning, contract and metering requirements before commercial operation begins.

When Is TNB Connection Approval or a Technical Study Required?

The electricity utility may need to assess whether the proposed solar capacity can connect safely without affecting the reliability, voltage, protection or quality of the electricity network.

Assessment	Possible Application	Purpose
Connection Confirmation Check	Certain domestic Solar ATAP systems above the applicable single-phase or three-phase threshold	Confirms whether the proposed capacity may connect to the distribution system.
Connection Assessment Study	Larger low-voltage or medium-voltage installations, depending on system capacity and utility requirements	Assesses voltage, power factor, load profile, protection and network impact.
Power System Study	Certain high-voltage or technically complex projects	Evaluates the proposed installation against wider network and system requirements.
Self-Assessment	Certain smaller self-consumption systems when requested by the electricity utility	Confirms the installation’s effect on the consumer installation and point of connection.
Metering Assessment	Export-capable or programme-based grid-connected systems	Determines the meter arrangement and whether replacement or additional metering equipment is required.

Capacity Thresholds Matter: The required utility study can change when the system capacity, supply phase, voltage level or export arrangement changes. The final proposed capacity should not be confirmed before the relevant threshold is checked.

What Energy Commission Requirements May Apply?

Solar PV installations must comply with the Electricity Supply Act, Electricity Regulations and relevant Energy Commission requirements. Depending on the installation, the consumer may need a public generation licence, an exemption procedure or a formal submission of installation information.

Generation Licence

Installations above the applicable licensing threshold may require a licence from the Energy Commission before commissioning.

Licensing Exemption

An installation exempted from licensing may still be subject to an exemption notification or information-submission procedure.

Registered Electrical Parties

Electrical installation, supervision, testing and commissioning must be handled by appropriately registered contractors and competent persons.

Completion Certificates

Supervision, completion and test certificates may need to be signed, retained and submitted to the relevant authority or utility.

Energy Commission-related records may include:

Generation-licence application
Licence-exemption notification
Solar PV installation information form
Form G supervision and completion certificate
Form H test certificate
Competent-person details
Electrical-contractor details
Technical drawings
Connection-assessment records
Testing and commissioning report
Certificate of completion
Alteration notification
Disconnection or dismantling notification

Exempted Does Not Necessarily Mean No Submission: A system exempted from the generation-licensing requirement may still require installation information and signed completion or test certificates to be submitted within the applicable period.

What Approvals Apply to Self-Consumption Solar?

A self-consumption solar system is designed primarily to serve electricity demand within the same premises. Under a zero-export arrangement, the installation must prevent unintended electricity export to the utility network.

A self-consumption installation may require:

Compliance with Energy Commission SELCO guidelines
Utility technical compliance
Zero-export protection where applicable
Qualified technical design
Certified single-line diagram
Site layout drawing
Equipment layout drawing
Structural drawing where required
Connection assessment above the applicable capacity
Self-assessment when requested
Registered electrical contractor
Registered competent person
Testing and commissioning
Form G and Form H certification
Generation licensing or exemption procedure
Submission of information to the utility
Submission of information to the Energy Commission
Local-authority compliance

Zero Export Still Requires Proper Grid-Connection Design: Even when no energy is intended to be exported, the solar installation is connected behind the consumer’s meter and must comply with applicable protection, safety and utility requirements.

Is Local Authority or Building Approval Required?

Local-authority requirements can differ by council, building type, location, installation method and whether the solar work changes the building structure, roof, façade, access, fire-safety arrangement or approved building plans.

Additional review may be needed when the project involves:

Structural strengthening
New steel support structures
Solar carports
Ground-mounted solar
Building extensions
Roof replacement
Major waterproofing work
Changes to approved building plans
Changes to building use
Heritage or controlled buildings
Common-property roofs
Fire-access changes
Emergency-access restrictions
Additional rooftop equipment loads
Work near property boundaries
Temporary road or crane access
Construction-site permits
Building-management requirements
Architectural approval
Engineering certification

Property Situation	Possible Approval	Responsible Party to Confirm
Standard Landed Home	Applicable solar, electrical and utility approvals; additional building approval if required by the local authority	Installer, qualified person and relevant local authority
Condominium or Strata Property	Management body approval and possible common-property consent	JMB, MC, developer, property manager and relevant authorities
Tenanted Commercial Property	Landlord consent, roof rights and possible financier consent	Property owner, tenant, lawyer and financier
Factory or Warehouse	Structural, fire-safety, local-authority and utility requirements	Engineer, architect, competent person and relevant authorities
Solar Carport or Ground Structure	Planning, building, structural and site-development approval may apply	Local authority and appointed qualified professionals

Local Requirements Should Be Confirmed in Writing: A statement that “no council approval is needed” should not be accepted without checking the specific authority, property, structure and proposed work.

What Testing, Commissioning and Meter Approvals Are Required?

Installation approval does not mean the system can immediately begin commercial operation. The completed installation must be inspected, tested, commissioned and documented according to the applicable electrical and programme requirements.

Complete the Installation

Install the panels, inverter, mounting, protection, isolators, cabling, labels, meters and monitoring equipment included in the approved design.

Perform Electrical Testing

Conduct the required polarity, voltage, insulation, earthing, protection, inverter and operational checks.

Complete Certification

The relevant competent person, electrical contractor or electrical services contractor signs the required reports and certificates.

Submit Completion Records

Submit the testing, commissioning and completion documents to the utility, programme agency or Energy Commission where required.

Complete Meter Work

The electricity utility may inspect, replace or install the applicable bi-directional meter and related metering equipment.

Confirm Commencement

Complete the programme contract, commencement notification and commercial-operation requirements before programme billing begins.

Testing and handover records may include:

Testing and commissioning report
Certificate of completion
Form G
Form H
As-built single-line diagram
Final system layout
Equipment schedule
Protection-setting records
Meter request
Meter-installation record
Solar ATAP contract
Commencement notification
Commercial-operation confirmation
Monitoring access
Shutdown instructions
Warranty documents
Maintenance instructions

Panels on the Roof Do Not Mean the Approval Process Is Complete: The system should only operate according to the approved arrangement after the required testing, certification, metering and commencement procedures are completed.

What Documents Are Commonly Required?

The exact document list varies by programme and project, but applicants should expect personal, property, electricity-account, corporate, technical, structural and electrical records to be requested.

MyKad or passport copy
SSM company profile
Authorised-signatory documents
Latest electricity bill
Electricity-account information
Property-ownership evidence
Landlord consent
Management-body approval
Financier consent where applicable
Signed solar quotation
Signed solar contract
System-capacity information
Panel datasheet
Inverter datasheet
Mounting-system information
Single-line diagram
Site layout drawing
Panel layout drawing
Electrical schematic
Cable-routing drawing
Civil and structural drawing
Structural calculation
Connection Confirmation Check approval
Connection Assessment Study
Power System Study
Programme application form
Generation-licence documents
Exemption notification
Form G
Form H
Testing and commissioning report
Certificate of completion
Meter request
Final as-built drawings
Insurance documents

Names and Capacities Must Be Consistent: Differences between the electricity account, owner documents, contract, application, drawings and final installed capacity can delay approval, commissioning or meter work.

What Is the Typical Solar Approval Workflow?

Identify the Project Structure

Confirm whether the system will use Solar ATAP, self-consumption, zero-export, lease, PPA or another permitted arrangement.

Complete the Site Assessment

Confirm roof suitability, electricity demand, capacity, connection voltage, structural requirements and equipment locations.

Prepare Technical Drawings

Prepare the single-line diagram, system layout, electrical drawings and civil or structural documents required for submission.

Obtain Technical Prerequisites

Complete the utility connection check or technical study and secure property, management or local-authority consent where required.

Submit the Main Application

Submit the programme, utility, licence, exemption or building application required for the selected project structure.

Install After the Required Approval

Order equipment and begin physical work according to the approved design, scope and project conditions.

Test and Certify

Complete electrical testing, competent-person certification and submission of the required completion records.

Complete Metering and Activation

Finalise meter work, contract commencement and commercial-operation requirements before using the system under the approved arrangement.

The Sequence Should Be Written into the Contract: The quotation should identify which approvals are prerequisites, who is responsible for each submission, what happens if approval is refused and which fees are included.

What Approval Questions Should Be Asked Before Signing?

Which solar programme or operating arrangement applies?
Is the property eligible for Solar ATAP?
Who will submit the eATAP application?
Is the provider registered for the relevant application work?
Does the proposed capacity require a connection check?
Is a Connection Assessment Study required?
Is a Power System Study required?
Who pays the utility-study fees?
Is an Energy Commission generation licence required?
Does a licensing exemption notification apply?
Who prepares and signs the single-line diagram?
Who prepares the civil and structural drawings?
Is local-authority approval required?
Is structural certification required?
Is fire-safety review required?
Is landlord, JMB or MC approval required?
Does the property financier need to consent?
Who completes Form G and Form H?
Who performs testing and commissioning?
Who applies for the required meter?
Which approval fees are included in the quotation?
Which professional fees are excluded?
Can the price change after technical approval?
What happens if the approved capacity is lower?
What happens if approval is rejected?
When may physical installation begin?
When may the system legally begin operating?
Who retains the final approval documents?

What Is Solar100’s Role in Solar Approval Comparison?

Solar100

Supports solar-provider discovery
Helps customers organise initial project information
Supports initial quotation comparison
Helps identify approval-scope differences
Does not issue permits or regulatory approvals
Does not guarantee approval or approved capacity

Selected Providers and Professionals

Identify the applicable approval pathway
Prepare technical designs and calculations
Submit applications within the agreed scope
Coordinate utility and authority requirements
Complete installation, testing and certification
Remain responsible for the final project delivery

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need approval to install solar panels in Malaysia?

A grid-connected installation generally requires compliance with the applicable programme, utility, electrical and commissioning requirements. Additional building, property or local-authority consent may also apply.

What is Solar ATAP approval?

Solar ATAP approval is the programme approval for eligible consumers participating in the Solar Accelerated Transition Action Programme. Applications are submitted through SEDA Malaysia’s eATAP system.

Does every home need a TNB Connection Confirmation Check?

No. It applies when the proposed domestic Solar ATAP capacity exceeds the relevant threshold for the property’s electricity-supply phase.

Do larger solar systems require a technical study?

They may. A Connection Assessment Study, Power System Study or another utility assessment may be required depending on capacity, voltage and connection conditions.

Is an Energy Commission licence required for solar?

Certain installations require a generation licence. Installations that qualify for an exemption may still need to complete the applicable notification or information-submission procedure.

Does a self-consumption solar system need approval?

It must comply with Energy Commission and utility technical requirements, including competent-person certification, testing, commissioning and zero-export controls where applicable.

Do I need council approval for rooftop solar?

It depends on the local authority, property and scope of work. Structural changes, carports, ground-mounted systems, common property and changes to approved building plans may require additional approval.

Can a tenant apply for solar installation?

A tenant may need written landlord consent, roof-access rights, electricity-account authorisation and clear responsibility for maintenance, removal and contract transfer.

Can the system operate immediately after the panels are installed?

Not necessarily. Testing, commissioning, certification, meter work, contract execution and commencement requirements may need to be completed first.

Does Solar100 obtain solar permits for customers?

Solar100 supports provider discovery and initial quotation comparison. The selected provider and appointed professionals remain responsible for applications, technical submissions, installation and certification included in their contract.

The information on this page is provided for general educational and comparison purposes. Solar permit, approval, licensing, exemption, technical-study, building, structural, fire-safety, utility, metering, testing and commissioning requirements depend on the programme, system capacity, supply phase, connection voltage, customer category, property, location, export arrangement, building type and applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and authority requirements. Requirements, forms, thresholds, fees and procedures may change. Customers should obtain written confirmation from the selected registered provider, qualified person, competent person, electricity utility, SEDA Malaysia, Energy Commission, local authority, property owner, management body and other relevant authorities before beginning work. Solar100 is a provider-discovery and quotation-comparison platform. It is not SEDA Malaysia, the Energy Commission, TNB, an electricity utility, local authority, installer, electrical contractor, engineer, architect, property manager or approving authority and does not guarantee programme eligibility, approval, licensed capacity, connection, meter installation, project completion, system performance, generation, savings or financial return.

Compare Solar Approval Scope and Quotations

Send your recent electricity bills, property location, property type, electricity-supply information, roof details, ownership status and proposed system requirements to begin comparing solar proposals and approval scopes from participating providers that may serve your area.

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