Tuesday May 18, 2010
By ALLISON LAI
malacca@thestar.com.my
MALACCA: The effort to promote green technology and encourage the use of alternative energy source got a boost here recently when more than 200 captains of industries and public bodies attended a special briefing on solar energy. The hour-long briefing was presented by US-based solar experts SunPower Corporation who are investing some RM2.3bil to set up their solar cell fabrication plant in Rembia, Alor Gajah.
SunPower Malaysia’s managing director Robert Vinje said the sun was the most constant and readily available energy source that could be tapped to power both homes and industries minus carbon pollution.
With current concerns about global warming and increasing price of energy, solar power is one of the most efficient and affordable energy alternatives available today, he said during the briefing held at Renaissance Hotel Malacca recently.
Go green: Vinje impressing upon the audience that solar power is one of the most efficient and affordable energy alternatives “People are looking for alternatives to power their lives and the planet for both economic as well as environmental reasons.
“For a tropical country like Malaysia, utilising the frequent sunshine it gets is the right thing to do.
“It is free after all,” he said.
Solar energy, he noted, was non-polluting as solar cells have no moving parts that need to be fixed, hence required very little maintenance.
He also said solar energy was relatively environmental friendly compared to the burning of fossil fuels that releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and carcinogens into the air.
“Compared with the noise from the machines that are used to drill and pump oil, solar cells are totally silent.
“Energy can be extracted from the sun without making a peep,” quipped Vinje.
Later when addressing questions from the floor, he said utilising solar power helped save money in the long run although solar panels or lights may be expensive to buy at the beginning.
“We are aware of the rising cost of oil yet energy from the sun is something one does not have to pay for,” he said, adding that solar-powered lights and other similar products were also very easy to install.
The fabrication plant in Rembia, is expected to create about 7,000 jobs.
To date, Malaysia has attracted several foreign direct investments including SunPower, worth up to RM13.8bil, to set up solar panels manufacturing facilities in Malaysia.
These include US-based companies First Solar Inc at the Kulim Hi Tech Park (KHTP), the China-based ReneSola in Johor Baru, the German company Q-Cells in Selangor Science Park 2, and the Japanese firm Tokuyama Corp in Sarawak.
SunPower Malaysia’s managing director Robert Vinje said the sun was the most constant and readily available energy source that could be tapped to power both homes and industries minus carbon pollution.
With current concerns about global warming and increasing price of energy, solar power is one of the most efficient and affordable energy alternatives available today, he said during the briefing held at Renaissance Hotel Malacca recently.
Go green: Vinje impressing upon the audience that solar power is one of the most efficient and affordable energy alternatives “For a tropical country like Malaysia, utilising the frequent sunshine it gets is the right thing to do.
“It is free after all,” he said.
Solar energy, he noted, was non-polluting as solar cells have no moving parts that need to be fixed, hence required very little maintenance.
He also said solar energy was relatively environmental friendly compared to the burning of fossil fuels that releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and carcinogens into the air.
“Compared with the noise from the machines that are used to drill and pump oil, solar cells are totally silent.
“Energy can be extracted from the sun without making a peep,” quipped Vinje.
Later when addressing questions from the floor, he said utilising solar power helped save money in the long run although solar panels or lights may be expensive to buy at the beginning.
“We are aware of the rising cost of oil yet energy from the sun is something one does not have to pay for,” he said, adding that solar-powered lights and other similar products were also very easy to install.
The fabrication plant in Rembia, is expected to create about 7,000 jobs.
To date, Malaysia has attracted several foreign direct investments including SunPower, worth up to RM13.8bil, to set up solar panels manufacturing facilities in Malaysia.
These include US-based companies First Solar Inc at the Kulim Hi Tech Park (KHTP), the China-based ReneSola in Johor Baru, the German company Q-Cells in Selangor Science Park 2, and the Japanese firm Tokuyama Corp in Sarawak.
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