April 29 sees record electricity usage in Thailand as the heat bites

Although there has been an increase in solar panel installations due to the decline in their prices, solar energy production is primarily effective during daylight hours, Ministry of Energy spokesperson Veerapat Kiatfuengfoo said. The increasing use of EVs, which are often charged at night, had pushed electricity usage to an all-time high, he added.

"During the past week, due to the extremely hot weather conditions, Thailand experienced peak electricity demand of 36,699.9 megawatts on April 29 at 9pm, the highest in the history of electricity consumption in Thailand,” Veerapat said.

Solar power panels were unable to contribute to meet the sharp spike in electricity demands.

The power reserve margin, which is calculated by comparing the actual electricity production capacity of various types of power plants during peak demand periods to the maximum electricity demand, indicates that Thailand still maintains a reserve electricity production capacity of approximately 25.8%, Veerapat said.

However, this represents a decrease from the previous year, when the maximum electricity demand was 34,826.5 megawatts in May 2023, resulting in a reserve capacity of approximately 30.9%.

Veerapat said peak electricity usage during nighttime could be attributed to several factors:

▪︎ Accumulated heat throughout the day leads to increased electricity usage, particularly through air-conditioning or fans to dissipate heat.

▪︎ While electricity usage from traditional sources has decreased during daytime hours due to solar energy being tapped, usage shifts back to conventional sources at night when solar energy is not available.

▪︎ The charging of electric vehicles at night has begun to contribute significantly to increased electricity demand.

Electricity usage statistics from January to April show a continuous upward trend in consumption, with record usage occurring five times within the first four months of 2024.