Call for telcos to invest in green technology

By Azlan Abu Bakar

:Business Times: Published: 2010/03/18

 

NOKIA Siemens Networks Malaysia said the government should take the lead and get telecommunication companies to equip their transmission towers with renewable power sources.

This is in line with the government's commitment to reduce the country's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to 40 per cent by 2020.

"Alongside the government, we strongly believe the telecommunications industry is uniquely placed to drive this," said Nokia Siemens Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Rainer Althoff.

The biggest environmental impact in a telecommunications network is energy consumption, which typically accounts for around 80 per cent of the total energy consumed, and up to 30 per cent of overall energy cost.

This means that telcos that invest in energy efficient technologies are not only able to reduce CO2 emissions but also make higher profits with lower energy spending.

"A key move would be for the government to encourage new off-grid base stations deployed in Malaysia from 2011 be based on renewable energy sources versus fossil fuel," he said.

Althoff told this to reporters at Nokia Siemens EnergiSmart Eco-Adventure Day - Greening Malaysia's Telecommunications Industry event in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, on Tuesday.

At present, Malaysia has about 20,000 base stations nationwide, powered by diesel generators.

"If 5 per cent were to use renewable energy, it would be a good start," Althoff said, noting that it is important that the government comes up with a policy to "force" telco players to invest in green technology.

With the expectation that electricity costs will shoot up by around 55 per cent in the next five years, telcos must cut their reliance on non-renewable energy resources.

In recognition of this, Althoff said the company is committed to improve the efficiency of its base stations products by up to 40 per cent by 2012.

Nokia Siemens aims to use renewable energy like wind and solar power to be the first choice for all remote base station sites by next year.

"A low carbon economy not only benefits the environment, but also feasible and holds great potential for sustainable growth in all industries," he said.

Recently, Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd announced it would invest up to RM100 million in its Deep Green programme to reduce CO2 emission by 50 per cent within four years.

Singapore's MobileOne also made a commitment to reduce its telecommunications network carbon print by 35 per cent by early 2011.

Electric Cars: Where to Plug In Away From Home?

From: Business Week

Plug-in electric vehicles have an edge over hydrogen-powered cars for a simple reason: The infrastructure to support them, the electric grid, is already in place. At night, you just connect the car to an outlet in your garage.
Unless of course, you don't have a garage. Now, Coulomb Technologies of Campbell, Calif., wants to provide service to city-dwellers and other drivers who lack handy access to an outlet for their cars. It's testing a subscription-based network in San Jose called ChargePoint, whose members use special key fobs to access outlets mounted on lamp posts, parking meters, or in parking lots. The power isn't free. Subscribers must register a credit card when they sign up for the service. Then, when they swipe the key fob, their usage is metered and charged to the card.
China is taking a different, top-down approach. It's starting to build a nationwide network of charging points to speed the adoption of electric vehicles. Electricité de France is working with carmakers on a similar idea.

—By David Kiley, Edited by Adam Aston

Research on oil palm biomass to be ready next march

Thestar: Monday March 22, 2010

TAWAU: The comprehensive research on viable renewable energy, using oil palm biomass and palm oil mill effluent, currently being undertaken by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, will be ready in a month, Plantation, Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said.
"The research is on-going. We will have the findings within a month. The research covers all aspects including economic viability, problems faced by parties involved and the actual number of oil palm mills which can geneate biomass-based energy.
"I can truly say this is one industry which has a huge potential to generate 1,335 megawatts of energy if all the palm oil biomass produced in the country is maximised to the fullest," Dompok told reporters after officiating a conference of the East Malaysia Planters Association here on Monday.
The conference themed, "Sustainable Growth For People, Planet and Profit" is organised by EMPA and sponsored by Sabah Softwoods Sdn Bhd.
He said despite the industry's vast potential, exorbitant start-up cost and capital outlay could pose challenges.
"One major issue to overcome will be the distant location of palm oil mills from Tenaga Nasional (TNB) and Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB)'s transmission line grids.
"Besides, the tariff offered by power purchasers in this country is 21 sen for per kw/hour, which is too low, while the industry needs to fetch between 29 sen and 30 sen for per kw/hour to remain profitable," Dompok added.
He said MPOB's research would also address this problem and the findings would be handed over to the government for further action as the issue of palm oil biomass renewable energy also involved other ministeries.
Dompok said palm oil mills nearer to TNB or SESB's transmission grid can take off first while mills located far away may take longer to take off.
"It has to be carried out in stages. We might need two phases to implement the activities," said Dompok, adding that the use of palm oil biomass as reneweable energy can solve the government's problem of ensuring adequate electricity supply in the country and Sabah.
"I wish to emphasise here that this is not the sole solution to the power supply problem in Sabah but it will complement the government's effort to overcome the shortage.
"What's more important is we will be able to clear palm oil estates (of the empty fruit bunches), and give a clean image to the industry.
Earlier, Dompok urged all 417 mills in the country to pursue the use of biomass and palm oil mill effluent in the production of renewal energy and organic fertiliser.
He said the goverment had allocated RM1.5 billion under the Green Technology Fund which can be utilised by mills to produce bio-energy.
"This fund provides loans with a two per cent subsidy from the government for producers and users of green technology. In addition, the government provides a 60 per cent guarantee on the loan," he added. - Bernama

Secondary water source vital in crisis

Thestar: Mar 20, 2010

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KUALA LUMPUR: Harvesting rainwater and using groundwater are two ways to alleviate shortages in times of drought, said the Council for Water and Green Technology Professionals.
“A secondary water source provides more security, especially in times of crisis,” said its secretary-general Mohmad Asari Daud at a roundtable discussion on “Clean Water for Our Future” on Thursday.
Currently, he said, only 1% of the country’s water supply is from groundwater while 99% is derived from surface water.
He said that in Malaysia the quality of groundwater was generally better than surface water.
“The storage of rainwater should be encouraged as it can be utilised for cleaning purposes and watering plants at home,” added Mohmad Asari.


World Water Day falls on Monday and in discussing ways to obtain clean and an undisrupted supply, Malaysian Water Partnership chairman Datuk Syed Muhammad Shahbudin emphasised the need for an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) system.
“There are 11 ministries as well as agencies and operators involved but they are not co-ordinated,” he said, adding that the IWRM system was not moving at the moment.
Other panellists at the discussion were Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association information secretary Zulkefli Muhammad and the Institute of Geology Malaysia’s hydro-geology expert Mohd Nazan Awang.
Malaysian Water Association immediate past president and Syarikat Air Terengganu’s former chief executive officer Datuk Wan Ngah Ali was the moderator.

Go green and save money

Thestar: :by CECILIA KOK | Mar 20, 2010

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cecilia_kok@thestar.com.my
The onus is on us to contribute to a greener and healthier environment. StarBizWeek looks at some of the ways we can adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle.
SCIENTISTS and environmentalists are pointing to the drastic climate change and weather-related natural disasters happening around the world to substantiate their claim that global warming is worsening and we urgently need to conserve our natural environment.
Just think about the extraordinary dry spells we have been having so frequently in Malaysia.
Herein lies the importance of a green reform. While most people will agree on its importance, many are just not practising an eco-friendly lifestyle.
The main barrier in going green is the wide perception that such a lifestyle is inconvenient and costly as most eco-friendly systems and products are expensive.
But at the household level, going green does not necessarily have to cost a bomb. Just a fundamental change to one’s lifestyle can go a long way. Most of the time, it helps us save money too. Lets look at some age-old tips to be eco-friendly in a purse-friendly way.
Reducing utility bills
For a start, one can conserve electricity and water to reduce utility bills.
Some basic steps include ensuring all electrical appliances are switched off when not in use (most appliances still consume electricity even when on standby mode), replacing conventional electrical items such as light bulbs with energy-efficient ones, and by not letting the tap run incessantly especially when brushing teeth, washing hands, rinsing dishes and cleaning fruits and vegetables.
Clean water is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity nowadays, so recycle water whenever possible.
For instance, the water used for washing vegetables and clothes can be re-used to flush the toilet, among other things.
Harvesting rainwater for watering plants or outdoor-cleaning is also another wise option.
Think before you throw
It is always good to think twice before throwing anything away. By reducing waste, less will be going to the landfill.
For example, food waste can be used as fertiliser as it contains nutrients and minerals that can be easily absorbed by plants.
What’s more, by doing so one does not have to spend money to buy synthetic fertilisers anymore. Requesting for less packaging when shopping is also one way of doing more for the environment. One can use reusable bags instead of plastic bags when shopping for groceries.
And for those who shop in Selangor on Saturdays (which is observed as “No Plastic Bag Day”), one can avoid paying 20 sen for each plastic bag used.
To prevent having more trees being chopped down, one can start by consuming less paper.


Going paperless
Going paperless can help cut paper usage and ink. For instance, ATM receipts and emails do not have to be on hard copy unless absolutely necessary.
Whenever possible, one should try using both sides of the paper when printing documents.
Another way to recycle is to use the clean side of used paper or post-it notes. This way, one can save on stationery expenses.
Driving less is also eco-friendly too and helps reduce one’s petrol expenses. For those who may find this impractical, why not consider carpooling with a friend.
For short distances, walking is the most ecological mode of transportation and a healthy form of exercise.
Nevertheless, whichever eco-friendly mode of transport one opts for, it is always important to exercise vigilance in view of the rising crime rate in the country.
The list of eco-friendly tips that we have here is not exhaustive. There are certainly many other ways but the onus is on us to contribute to a greener and healthier environment.

Why developers should go green

Thestar: By OUR LIVING ENVIRONMENT
By ANGIE NG | Mar 20, 2010

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THE El Nino phenomenon has been blamed for the current dry spell that has caused dams, rivers and canals to dry up in various parts of the country. While it is common for drier weather to occur during such time, thesoaring temperature has worsened the situation.
Many of us must be really concerned about the drastic climate change happening around us and the hot weather that we have to put up with almost on a daily basis. It has gone to the extent that even a heavy downpour will only provide temporary relief before the sweltering heat is on us again.The heat is evident even at night as it is nolonger as cool as before.
More people are turning on the air conditioner but this will mean higher energy consumption. There are many factors that may have contributed to the situation and it is about time concerted efforts are expended to arrest the situation.
Instead of just blaming it on El Nino or other natural conditions, we all have to take some responsibility for this state of affair. Just look around us and we’ll see why global warming is worsening and the carbon footprint has grown more serious this past decade or so.
Growing consumerism and high consumption for all kinds of goods and services is straining our production lines and the eco-system will be among the first to be hit.
Let’s see how in our own little way we can each take small steps and measures to save the environment from further deterioration. From making do with less, to opting for natural lighting and ventilation in our dwellings, there are a host of things that are within our control to help alleviate the snarling hot spells.
Having a platform where the common folk and corporate institutions can come together to uphold an environment-friendly way of doing things and upholding sustainability as a core value should be a good start.
A rating system to rate businesses and corporations that do not just claim to be “green companies” but actually “walk the talk” and adopt sound green practices in their business ventures and production processes will steer companies onto the green, sustainable path.

If people pay more attention to such companies and support them, it will naturally promote more environmentally-conscious companies.
As one of the frontliners in the country’s development process, the construction and property fraternity has a huge responsibility when it comes to ensuring more care is taken to promote a more sustainable environment. Basically, developers should push for a greater balance in their building methods and development plans.
Instead of just cutting and filling, a construction method that has resulted in many “balding” hillslopes and landslides, the better option will be more eco-friendly and sustainable construction methods that retain the natural terrains.
Wherever possible, healthy mature trees should be retained and not indiscriminately chopped down.
Looking at the few number of eco-friendly projects that truly observe holistic planning, designs and construction practices that promote greater co-existence and harmony between man and nature in the country today, there are still much that can be done by industry players.
Some are still not convinced that the sustainable way of development is a better option as there are more nitty gritty things to look into compared with conventional practices. Although it means having to walk the extra mile and more work for them, earning the reputation as one of the few “green and caring” developers will be worth the effort.
As the green movement gains further momentum, more buyers will opt to buy property from these developers and the accolade will translate into more tangible benefits such as higher sales for the companies.
Besides the landscapings and green lungs, every project, irrespective of whether it is residential or commercial, should give equal emphasis to natural ventilation, lighting and cooling features of buildings.
This is because the working population spend close to or more than a third of their time at the workplace and it will help if they have more natural ambience and an oxygenated environment to work in.
Deputy news editor Angie Ng believes that at the end of the day, there are more to be gained by being green crusaders.

Energy savers in demand

Thestar: By TEE LIN SAY | Mar 20, 2010

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linsay@thestar.com.my
WITH the advancement of technology and energy conservation in a greener world, it is no surprise that light emitting diodes (LED) applications are hot in demand.
LED, which is used in general lighting, automobiles and television saves 70% more energy compared to a normal cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) and is gaining popularity although its high cost is the stumbling block.
Last year, the increasing demand for energy efficient television (TV) sets with vivid picture quality saw LED orders taking the market by surprise. This was mainly seen in the LED-BLU (back-light unit) shipments for LCD TVs and notebooks.
Growth in LED applications caught the entire supply-chain by surprise, with catalytic Samsung Electronics making a splash by introducing its LED TV marketing campaign during the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show. This innovation by Samsung rocked the LED world and helped sustain stable TV set margins despite higher panel prices.
Suddenly, there was an adoption into LED notebooks and other applications such as signages and lighting. This sudden increase in demand saw lead times increasing from the normal 4 to 6 months to 8 to 10 months in the second quarter of 2009. This momentum is likely continue in 2010, with UBS Research forecasting LED TV shipments to grow from 3.3 million units in 2009 to 28.7 million in 2010.
However, UBS remains cautious about 2011 as continued LED chip supply growth will likely overwhelm demand growth. For 2010, Macquarie Research expects the focus on LED TV to be on edge lighting technologies and thinness.
At recent trade shows, leading companies showcased two edge technologies as well as TV sets that were less than 5mm thick. “LED TV shipments are expected to reach as high as 30 million units in 2010 after 3 million to 4 million in 2009,” said Macquarie.
It also foresees the price gap between LED TVs and normal liquid-crystal display televisions (LCD) TVs to narrow to less than 20% especially with greater component supply. Meanwhile, UBS believes that the tight supply of chips should ease from the first quarter of 2010 and it expects overcapacity to remain under control until the fourth quarter of 2010. The research house belives growth in the LED segment, driven by TV is achievable as a similar rapid transition occurred when LCD TVs switched from 720p to 1,080p resolution.
 The penetration rate of 1,080p resolution TVs increased from 4% in 2006 to 27% in 2008. Furthermore, the issues of energy savings and better picture quality will also help this transition. Meanwhile, the second-fastest growth segment is lighting, which might have greater potential for longer-term growth compared with LED TV.

Will LEDs be viable?
Integrated circuit player, Globetronics Technology Bhd which derives 15% of its revenue from LED, is involved in processing wafers into LED dies for some of the multinationals in the country. Globetronics group chief financial controller Ng Kok Choon sees demand for LED increasing. “LED is commercially viable, but in terms of producing the applications, there is still a gap. Currently the industry players are putting in a lot of effort to decrease unit cost and increase the brightness of the LED.
This is because the brighter an LED the fewer LED required to produce the product.
“We have been seeing a certain element of conversion, and this is due to LED’s popularity as a green technology, which results in less energy,” said Ng.
Focus Dynamics Technologies Bhd chief executive officer Kee Twuan Tee feels that LED for commercial use will probably become fully viable over the next 5 years. “As energy bills make up 5% to 7% of most company’s operating expenses, more emphasis will be given to energy conservation,” says Kee.
Focus specialises in energy efficiency products as well as LED lighting for kitchen cabinets. Its clients include Signature Kitchen and Aino Kitchen. Meanwhile, D&O Ventures Bhd’s is involved in the packaging, assembly and testing of LEDs that are used mainly in automotives, general lighting, and display panels. Most of its products are exported to Europe, the United States, China, South Korea and Japan.
“We think the industry is going to grow strongly over the next few years due to a recovery in the global economy and advent of new LED applications such as the conversion of the TV market from cold cathode fluorescent lamps to LED TVs as well as the conversion of conventional lighting to LED lighting,” says D&O Ventures director Yeow See Yuen.
“Hence we will be increasing our capacity to ride on this new wave of demand which will see more LED-led applications coming onstream,” he adds. Yeow says that technological advances and growing volumes will eventually see the mass adoption of LED products, which will see LED applications becoming more commercially viable.
D&O has a packaging plant in Malacca and a module plant in China. It intends to set up a second panckaging plant in Laos which is expected to be operational by the second half of 2010.
Other tech players involved in LED are DSEM Technology Sdn Bhd, Pentamaster Corp Bhd, and Elsoft Research. They provide support for major MNCs involved in the LED business, such as Nichia, Cree, Osram, Lumileds and Avago.h