The microscopic surface potential distributions were measured from the onset energies of secondary electron spectra using a scanning Auger electron microscope. The spatial resolution is several tens of nanometers and a sensitivity of the surface potential measurement is 0.05 eV. We demonstrated the calibration of the instrument for local surface potential analysis based on the onset energy measurement of the secondary electron spectrum. Several applications of this technique for Ni polycrystal grains of different orientations, and a potential profile along the p-n junction of a light-emitting diode were demonstrated.