Solar ATAP explained: how rooftop solar billing works in 2026
What changed from NEM, how export credits work, and how to size your system for the most savings.
Solar ATAP (Solar Accelerated Transition Action Programme) is Malaysia's rooftop solar programme for homes and businesses. It started on 1 January 2026 and replaced the old Net Energy Metering (NEM 3.0) scheme. If you're thinking about solar this year, this is the scheme you'll be on.
How Solar ATAP works
The idea is simple: use your own solar power first, and export the rest.
- During the day, your panels power your home or business directly. Every unit you use is a unit you don't buy from TNB.
- Any surplus flows to the TNB grid through a single bi-directional meter.
- That exported energy earns a credit on your monthly TNB bill.
Homes earn export credits based on the Energy Charge on their TNB bill. Businesses earn credits based on the average System Marginal Price, which can vary from month to month.
Important: unused export credits do not roll over. Credits that aren't used up in a billing month are forfeited. That's why sizing your system to your actual usage matters more under Solar ATAP than it did under NEM.
What changed from NEM 3.0
| NEM 3.0 (ended) | Solar ATAP (2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application window | Fixed national quota, often full | Open all year, no national quota |
| Export credit | Offset against your bill | Energy Charge (homes) or average SMP (businesses) |
| Unused credits | Could roll over | Forfeited each month |
| Contract | 10 years | 10 years from commencement |
System size limits
- Homes on single-phase supply: up to 5 kW.
- Homes on three-phase supply: up to 15 kW. Larger systems need an extra TNB connection check.
- Businesses: up to 100% of maximum demand, capped at 1 MW, subject to TNB's technical assessment.
How to apply
You can't apply on your own. Applications go through SEDA Malaysia's eATAP system, and you must appoint a SEDA Registered PV Service Provider to submit for you. Your installer handles the technical assessment, installation, SEDA submission and coordination with TNB, which then installs the bi-directional meter. Your 10-year Solar ATAP contract starts once that meter is in.
What happens after 10 years?
After the contract ends, your system keeps running, but strictly for self-consumption. Exports no longer earn credits. With panels lasting 25 years or more, most of your long-term value comes from the power you use directly, which is another reason to size for daytime usage rather than maximum export.
What this means for you
- Size for self-consumption. The best savings come from using solar power as it's generated.
- Look at your daytime usage. Homes with people at home during the day, home offices, and businesses running daytime operations benefit most.
- Don't oversize. A bigger system isn't always better when unused credits are forfeited.
Not sure what size is right for you?
Send us your last three TNB bills and we'll size a system around how you actually use power.