SolaRIS vs SuRIA Home: Why the Solar Rebate Dropped RM1,000

SolaRIS was Malaysia’s previous residential solar rebate scheme, and it has ended. Its replacement, SuRIA Home, pays less. This page sets out what changed between the two, why that matters for a decision made today, and what the trend suggests about whatever comes next.

Plenty of homeowners still search for the “SolaRIS rebate” because that is the name they heard two years ago. The problem is that the scheme no longer exists, and its replacement is not a like-for-like copy. The differences are not cosmetic — they change how much money reaches you and how your system should be designed.

What Was SolaRIS?

SolaRIS stands for the Solar for Rakyat Incentive Scheme. The government introduced it to encourage homeowners to install solar PV under the NEM Rakyat programme, paying a cash rebate of RM1,000 for every kilowatt AC installed, up to a maximum of RM4,000 on a 4 kWac system.

SolaRIS ran alongside additional NEM Rakyat quota. At that time, energy exported to the grid was offset one-for-one at the full retail rate — every unit sent out during the day could cancel a unit consumed at night. The combination of a large cash rebate and a full offset is what made the arithmetic look as good as it did.

That scheme has since closed. NEM applications ended on 30 June 2025, and Solar ATAP started on 1 January 2026 as the successor.

SolaRIS vs SuRIA Home: The Numbers Compared

Put side by side, the difference is plain:

Notice one subtlety in that table. To reach the maximum rebate under SolaRIS you needed 4 kWac. To reach the maximum under SuRIA Home you need 5 kWac — a bigger system, for a smaller rebate. Every ringgit of rebate now requires more installed capacity behind it.

Why Was the SolaRIS Rebate Higher?

We cannot state the policy reasoning behind the rates with certainty, and anyone who claims to know is guessing. Two factors are reasonable to point at, though.

First, solar system prices have fallen. Cost per kWp today is lower than it was a few years ago, so a smaller rebate still moves the same share of the total cost.

Second, electricity tariffs have risen under the RP4 structure. When bills are higher, monthly savings from solar are larger, and less upfront incentive is needed to make the arithmetic work.

Whatever the reasoning, the practical effect is the same: homeowners who acted during the SolaRIS era received more public support than those acting now.

I Already Received SolaRIS. Can I Claim Again?

No. One of the SuRIA Home conditions is that the applicant has not previously received a cash rebate under SolaRIS. The principle is one form of assistance per individual, and the check happens at TNB level.

This matters for households planning a second installation — adding capacity, or installing at a second property. If the TNB account is in the same name and that name already claimed SolaRIS, a second claim will not pass. If your spouse is the account holder for the other property, that is a different individual and the situation differs.

The Bigger Change: NEM to Solar ATAP

The rebate gap is the easiest difference to see, but it is not the one with the largest effect over the system’s life. The rebate is paid once. The export mechanism shapes your bill every month for ten years.

Under NEM, exported surplus was offset one-for-one at the full retail rate, and credits carried into the following month. The grid effectively worked as a free battery.

Under Solar ATAP, exports are credited against the energy charge component only, not the full retail rate — 27.03 sen/kWh for monthly consumption of 1,500 kWh or less, and 37.03 sen/kWh above that. More importantly, unused credits expire at month end.

The design consequence: the old strategy was to install as large a system as possible and export heavily. The current strategy is to maximise daytime self-consumption. Those two approaches lead to different system sizes and to a different answer on whether a battery is worth it.

What the Trend Says About the Next Scheme

Three generations of incentive so far, each worth less than the one before:

• Feed-in Tariff. Paid a premium for every exported unit under long-term contracts. Solar quota closed years ago.
• NEM. No premium payment, but a one-for-one offset at the full retail rate, with credits carried forward.
• Solar ATAP. Credit on the energy charge only, no carry-forward, with a smaller cash rebate alongside it.

We cannot forecast what follows 2026 and should not pretend otherwise. But if you are waiting because you expect the next scheme to be better, that argument needs the trend to reverse for the first time. On the record so far, that is not a safe bet.

What to Do Now

1. Check whether you ever claimed SolaRIS. If you did, take the rebate out of your calculation entirely and judge solar on bill savings alone.
2. If you have not, count backwards from 31 December 2026. The TNB commissioning date is what counts, and the full process takes months.
3. Size the system to daytime consumption, not to the rebate ceiling. Under Solar ATAP, self-consumption is worth more than export.
4. Ask whether a battery fits your profile. Monthly credit expiry changes the answer for some households.

SolaRIS, SuRIA Home and Your Other Numbers

The rebate is one part of the calculation. Read these alongside it for the full picture:

Frequently Asked Questions About SolaRIS

The questions that come up most when people compare the two schemes:

Want to understand the export mechanism that applies now? Read our Solar ATAP Malaysia guide. For current rebate conditions and deadlines, go to the SuRIA Home rebate guide.

This page compares two government programmes in general terms based on published information. Terms can change. Confirm the current position with TNB or a SEDA-registered installer before deciding.