Solar ATAP Export Rate 2026: SMP Rate Explained

Solar ATAP export rate is the value TNB credits for each kWh of solar you send back to the grid. Under Solar ATAP, businesses earn the average System Marginal Price (SMP) and homes earn the Energy Charge rate. Both sit below the retail tariff you pay for grid power, so the export rate decides how big your system should be.

1. Solar ATAP export rate for homes and businesses

The Solar ATAP export rate depends on your TNB account type:

• Domestic (homes): exports are credited at the Energy Charge component of your TNB tariff.
• Non-domestic (shops, offices, factories): exports are credited at the average SMP issued by Single Buyer.
• Same month only: credit offsets usage in the same billing month. Unused credit is forfeited.
• Energy only: credit does not offset AFA or other non-energy charges on your bill.
• 10-year contract: after the Solar ATAP contract ends, exported energy earns no offset and the system runs for self-consumption only.

The Energy Commission set these rules in the Solar ATAP guidelines released on 30 December 2025. [Source: Baker McKenzie] [Source: SEDA]

2. What is the SMP rate?

SMP rate is the energy price of the most expensive thermal generator dispatched to meet demand in each half-hour period, as defined by the Energy Commission. Fuel prices, system demand and generation conditions move it up and down. [Source: Energy Commission]

Single Buyer, the market operator for Peninsular Malaysia, publishes the half-hourly SMP and a monthly average for the 7am to 7pm window. Solar ATAP uses the monthly average SMP to value business exports, since rooftop solar generates in daylight hours.

3. SMP price Malaysia: latest and past figures

The SMP swings with fuel prices. In 2022, SMP ranged from a low of 19.45 sen/kWh (18 September) to a high of 77.67 sen/kWh (11 November). Use the latest monthly average when you check a solar proposal, and ask your provider which SMP figure the savings model assumes. [Source: Single Buyer]

4. What the Solar ATAP export rate means for your savings

Take a factory exporting 2,000 kWh in a month. At an average SMP of RM0.19/kWh, the export credit is about RM380. The same 2,000 kWh used on site during working hours avoids the full tariff for those units, which sits well above the SMP.

Four ways to size around the export rate:

1. Size for daytime load. Match the system to what your premises uses from 8am to 6pm, not to your full monthly bill.
2. Shift flexible loads into daylight. Run pumps, compressors, chillers or batch processes while the sun is up.
3. Check the self-consumption ratio. A good proposal shows how many kWh you use on site and how many you export.
4. Consider storage for evening peaks. A battery stores surplus solar for later use. See our solar battery price guide.

5. Solar ATAP export rate vs NEM 3.0, SELCO and FiT

• NEM 3.0: exports were credited 1:1 at the retail rate, with unused credit carried forward up to 24 months. Read Solar ATAP vs NEM 3.0.
• SELCO: no export credit. All generation is for self-consumption. Read SELCO vs ATAP.
• FiT: Feed-in Tariff rates do not apply to new Solar ATAP systems. New rooftop systems export under Solar ATAP.

Bottom line

The Solar ATAP export rate paid about RM0.19 per kWh for business exports in early 2026. Your savings come from solar you use on site. Size the system to your daytime load, check the SMP figure in every proposal, and treat exports as a bonus.

For the full rules, read our Solar ATAP Malaysia 2026 guide or try the solar cost calculator.

Frequently asked questions