HANOI, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam is encouraging the installation of solar systems on houses' roof, as solar power is cheaper than fossil fuel and environmentally friendly, experts said here on Wednesday at a conference on the development of solar power in the country.

Solar power systems on the roof of houses in Vietnam can help households reduce 50 percent of their bills for monthly power consumption, contributing to protecting the environment, Vietnam News Agency quoted experts as saying.

With 100 million Vietnamese dong (4,300 U.S. dollars) spent on six solar panels with a lifetime of 20-25 years, each household can save 1.5 million Vietnamese dong (65 U.S. dollars) each month.

According to a report from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, one year after realizing a prime ministerial decision on encouraging the expansion of solar power projects in Vietnam and the ministry's circular on developing the projects, 100 large-scale projects have been added into provincial and national planning.

To date, 748 small-scale rooftop solar power projects with a combined capacity of nearly 11.6 MW have been developed.