Malaysia's first solar power plant

Thestar: Wednesday February 23, 2011

By ANITA GABRIEL
anita@thestar.com.my

TNB to call for tender for the project in Putrajaya soon PETALING JAYA: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) has completed the pre-qualification tender process for Malaysia's first solar power plant to be located in Putrajaya. The utility will “very soon” call for tenders for the project that is estimated to cost some RM60mil, according to TNB president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh.
The plant's generating capacity may be too small to make the profit-minded or renewable energy advocates jump, but it marks a major step forward in the country's drive to harness renewable energy sources to wean itself from an over-reliance on fossil fuels, which will run out one day, and its impact on climate change.
In an interview with StarBiz, Che Khalib said the solar power plant would take 12 months for completion and would be located in the buffer zone of an existing power station in Putrajaya.
“One of the main concerns about solar power is the need for large tracts of land. So, we've decided to build the solar power on the 500m buffer area in the existing power plant,” he said. “The added advantage is that the cost will also be lower as there is already a substation in the location and we can immediately connect to the system.”

Solar power and other renewable energy sources feature prominently in the Economic Transformation Programme

The cost of a solar power plant is estimated at US$4mil per megawatt (MW). For perspective, that makes it roughly six times more costly than putting up an open cycle gas-fired plant, four times more expensive than a combined-cycle gas plant and just under three times higher than a coal-fired plant.
“But that's not exactly an apple-to-apple comparison as coal and combined-cycle plants can go up to 80% load factor whereas a solar plant can only run on peak load,” said an industry analyst.
Che Khalib said: “This is our initiative. We know it's not going to give us an economic return based on the current tariff system but this will be a learning process for us. By doing this, we will have a head-start in terms of knowledge. Also, when we receive proposals for solar power, we will know (what it takes to set up such a plant).”
TNB will implement the project based on three types of solar technology silicon, thin film and polycrystalline. (There are various technologies used in the making of solar panels and they vary in terms of cost, panel surface, durability and longevity.)
“It will be 2:2:1 in any combination to provide our people with the knowledge of how solar projects can be implemented in the country,” he elaborated.
While Malaysia has a rich supply of sunlight and should be aggressively tapping solar power, Che Khalib said one dampener was the clouds which could diminish the efficiency of solar panels. Secondly, he pointed out that unlike some Western nations, Malaysia did not have unproductive land.
“The US has a lot of desert. They can't do anything much with the desert so they put up solar panels there. In Malaysia, there will be a trade-off as its soil is fertile. There will be an economic trade-off. We can still pursue it, but it's a question of cost and economic feasibility.”
Solar power, as well as other renewable energy sources, feature prominently in the Government's Economic Transformation Programme. Under the energy Entry Point Programme, the target is for Malaysia to build solar power capacity up to 1.25 gigawatt by 2020. The plan has also set a renewable energy target of 5.5% of total capacity mix in 2015, from less than 1% of energy mix today.
Globally, major countries have set far more ambitious targets in the race to be leaders in the realm of clean energy, including solar power or photovoltaic power generation. As it stands now, Taiwan boasts of having Asia's largest power plant which sits on a 2ha site and is capable of generating 100MW of clean energy.

KBE, BSolar in solar project

Thestar: Tuesday February 22, 2011

PETALING JAYA: KUB-Berjaya Enviro Sdn Bhd (KBE) and Berjaya Solar Sdn Bhd (BSolar) will develop a RM3mil-RM5mil 100kW pilot solar power plant project in Bukit Tagar, Selangor, they said in a statement yesterday.
KBE is the concessionaire of the Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill and is a 60:40 joint venture berween Berjaya Corp Bhd and KUB Malaysia Bhd. BSolar is involved in solar power installation and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Berjaya Corp.
The pilot project is expected to be developed in the second quarter of this year, both companies said in a statement yesterday

Cyberjaya to have solar-powered bus shelters soon

TheStar: Feb 9, 2011

All ears: The participants listening to Norasiah during the forum.

SOLAR-powered bus shelters and covered carparks are among the plans for Cyberjaya’s green projects for the upcoming year.
These and issues like solid waste production, urban planning and public transportation schemes, were discussed at the recent Information on Green Technology (iGreet) seminar, but it will take more than buzz words to change Selangor’s environmental report card.
Organised by Cyberview, the first session of iGREET for 2011 brought together representatives from across industry sectors and government departments to introduce green technology possibilities to the Cyberjaya community especially with Cyberjaya’s developers and stakeholders in mind.
Speakers at the event included Selangor Town and Country Planning Department deputy director Norasiah Bee Mohd Haniff, who touted the conference as “a chance to share knowledge and experience in order to move towards developing green technology in this state and the country.”
But she was also quick to stress the importance of transforming Selangor’s metropolises into green cities that are self-contained and well-planned before it is too late.
“We need sustainable development to remedy these environmental wrongs,” she warned. “We cannot deny the local environment’s status in Selangor — issues still exist. It’s not a choice anymore, it’s a must.”
Green cities are compact with open spaces and green corridors, maximising the efficiency of urban land to meet current needs without jeopardising resource availability for future generations.


Norasiah said this vision could only be achieved by enforcing best planning practices and by regenerating dilapidated regions in order to strike a balance between development and the environment.
She urged her department and other government sectors to better regulate development in collaboration with developers to create green cities.
“Gone are the days when we can just put through all the developments that fall onto our lap.
“We must be selective with our developments and we must also work to phase out polluting industries by moving them towards cleaner mechanisms in their daily operations,” she said.
While Selangor is currently the only state with a commitment to sustainable development in Malaysia, it is also one of the most heavily polluted.
With high population density, rapid sprawl and an urbanisation rate expected to reach 94% by 2020, Selangor is one of Malaysia’s least eco-friendly states.
Another issue high on the iGreet agenda was solid waste generation, with Selangor’s large manufacturing and construction sectors contributing heavily to pollution in the region.
Community members at the forum said existing initiatives to combat solid waste production, such as the “No plastic bags on Saturdays” and Pay As You Throw (PAYT) regulations, are too limited and need to be expanded.
Selangor currently produces more than 4,300 tonnes of waste per day, with estimates suggesting this figure will rise to 5,500 tonnes per day by the year 2020.
Strategies were also suggested to change the current modal split between public and private transportation.
Currently, the statewide ratio of private and public transportation is 90:10 respectively.
There are plans under the 2009 economic stimulus package to reduce this disparity to a 50:50 split by the year 2020 as part of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP). However, participants debated whether these goals were realistic, given that reduction targets at the federal level were revised down to a 30:70 split after a review of the second national physical plan.
Selangor Department of Environ-ment assistant director (Develop-ment) Amirul Aripin, said an important initial step towards achieving a green future would be to make people think of themselves as “environmental citizens”.
“Our goals cannot be reliant on government action alone,” he said.
“All individuals have a role to play in becoming environmental citizens, citizens of planet earth.”
He said individuals should conduct “purposeful action” towards greener living by taking simple steps at home, such as turning off taps after use, buying energy efficient appliances, and installing water-saving devices in showers and toilets.
But as participants at the forum suggested, opportunities to enact environmental citizenship are limited without new infrastructure, such as separate bins for recycling and garbage and a holistic waste management system.
The recent iGreet forum was the seventh of the series, which aims to support the government’s aspiration to develop Cyberjaya as a pioneer green city.
It was also the first session to be open to the public.
Among the ambitious green energy plans on the horizon in Cyberjaya are solar panels on bus shelters and carpark shelters, shaded pedestrian walkways and cycle paths to help reduce the region’s carbon footprint.
In Cyberjaya, around 2,500 less vehicles each day use the roads due to an integrated public transport system, with free parking at bus stops and free shuttle services helping to ease traffic congestion.
The iGreet initiative has future plans to broaden its educational arms through school visits and social media to further engage the community with the latest in green technology.

Green Township Framework to be ready by year end

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18, 2010 -- A framework on developing green townships will be ready by end of the year, Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry's senior undersecretary for green technology sector Mohd Rosli Abdullah said.

He said the Green Township Framework would outline comprehensive guidelines for new and existing townships in the country to go green by incorporating environmental friendly technologies.

He added that utilisation of land use, traffic and other infrastructure and measuring the level of carbon dioxide would also be among the indicators for a green township.

"It is almost completed. The formulation of the framework is headed by the ministry with collaboration from other agencies including the Works Ministry, Town and Country Planning Department, Malaysian Institute of Planners and local governments," he told reporters after attending the First International Young Planners Forum 2010 here Monday.

The one-day event was opened by Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui.

Putrajaya and Cyberjaya have been picked to spearhead the project and to become models of green township in the country.

Towards this end, Rosli said government offices in Putrajaya had targeted to reduce its energy and water consumption by 10 per cent by end of this year.

"While we try to incorporate energy-saving technologies in buildings, we are also conducting awareness campaigns to educate staff and building managers on the importance of reducing energy and water consumption in everyday activities," he added.

Earlier in his speech, Chin urged all sectors including members of the public to seriously put in efforts to help cut greenhouse gas emissions, saying the government had pledged to reduce emission by up to 40 per cent by 2020.

"Whether we can achieve it, it is up to all of us. If we just depends on top-down process, I doubt we will get any results," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Towards a green nation and economy

Thestar: Saturday November 27, 2010

AT YOUR SERVICE
By DATUK LOO TOOK GEE
Secretary-General Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry

In the pursuit of sustainable development, policymakers must find a way to strike a balance between economic efficiency and environmental protection. THE global community is confronted with challenges related to the environment and climate change. As a result, many countries are promoting sustainable development by investing in green technology in the form of cleaner low-carbon transport and energy systems, “smart” electricity grids, energy efficiency, renewable energy as well as in green research and development.
Green technology signifies a global paradigm shift in which economic aspiration combines with resource productivity and conservation to spearhead sustainable development.
Under a Cabinet reshuffle in April 2009, the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry (Kettha) was given the mandate to promote sustainable development through the adoption of green technologies in the various economic sectors of the country.
In pushing for a low-carbon economy, the Government launched the National Green Technology Policy on July 24, 2009, which serves as the basis for all Malaysians to enjoy an improved quality of life, by ensuring that the objectives of our national development policies will continue to be balanced with environmental considerations.
The Government also hopes to create a new avenue of growth for the country from green technology, in line with the New Economic Model that was unveiled recently.
The country’s vision for a low-carbon growth trajectory will be driven by four main pillars – energy, economy, environment and society.
To strengthen the platform for our green agenda, the National Green Technology Council was established to spearhead green technology application in the country. This council is chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and supported by a steering committee and five working groups on industry, research and innovation, human capital, promotion and public awareness and transportation.
The Green Technology Policy also outlines five strategic thrusts towards implementing green technologies in the country (for details, go to www.kettha.gov.my).
In the transition to a low-carbon economy, the key issue for our policymakers is how to strike a balance between economic efficiency and environmental protection as the driver for economic growth and environmental sustainability. This needs to take into consideration the importance of promoting the notion of the environment and eco-efficiency as a business opportunity, rather than a cost item.
The following are examples of the initiatives undertaken by the ministry to address the challenges of climate change and reduce our carbon footprint:

Energy efficiency
The Malaysian Industrial Energy Efficiency Improvement Programme represents one of the main efforts undertaken to improve energy efficiency in the industrial sector. Since 2001, fiscal incentives had been introduced by the Government to promote efficient use of energy such as pioneer status, investment tax allowance, duty import exemption and sales tax exemption.
The ministry was now in the midst of finalising the Energy Efficiency Master Plan with clear goals and targets in the industrial, building and residential sectors, so as to coordinate and implement energy efficiency and conservation programmes in a systematic and holistic manner.

Renewable energy
The Government approved the Renewable Energy Policy and Action Plan in April 2010. This policy is aimed at promoting long-term sustainability by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation and at the same time stimulate a new growth industry for the country.
To encourage renewable energy generation in the country, the Government will be implementing the Feed-in Tariff Mechanism which allows electricity produced from such sources like biomass, biogas, mini-hydro and solar to be sold to power utilities at a fixed premium price and for a specific duration.

Green buildings
The Green Building Index (GBI) is a rating tool to grade environment-friendly buildings and the Government is providing fiscal incentives to buildings which are GBI-certified.
Owners of GBI-certified buildings are entitled to income tax exemptions, equivalent to the additional capital expenditure, to green their building. Buyers of green buildings from developers will also be exempted from stamp duty equivalent to the additional cost incurred to green their building.

Sustainable transport
To facilitate the use of electric vehicles (EV) in the country, the Government is in the process of preparing the EV Infrastructure Roadmap, which includes a fleet test programme for electric vehicles. The implementation of this fleet test will be the benchmark in developing a strategic plan and framework as well as identification of entities that will benefit the electric vehicle industry, in areas of services and new business opportunities.

Green Technology Roadmap
Under the Green Technology Roadmap, a baseline study is currently being conducted to ascertain the overall green technology applications in six sectors, namely, energy, transport, building, water and waste management, manufacturing industries and ICT applications.

Green Technology Financing Scheme
A RM1.5bil soft loan scheme called the Green Technology Financing Scheme (GTFS) was launched by the Government early this year to encourage the participation of companies and entrepreneurs in green technology. The Government bears 2% of the interest rate charged and provides a guarantee of 60% on the financing amount, with the remaining 40% being taken by banking institutions.

Green townships in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya
The ministry, together with the Malaysian Green Technology Corporation (MGTC), is developing a green township framework, a green township rating system based on the Common Carbon Metric (CCM) and carbon

FiT-ted for greener energy push

Thestar: Saturday November 13, 2010

PETALING JAYA: The implementation of feed-in-tariff (FiT) in the middle of next year will put Malaysia on a sustainable path towards promoting a renewable energy (RE) market, said experts. According to the RE/Malaysia Building Integrated Photovoltaic (MBIPV) national project team under the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry, the FiT system has, over the years, proven to be an effective and efficient mechanism to encourage the development of sustainable markets for RE.
For example, in Germany, the RE capacity has been raised substantially in just 10 years after the introduction of FiT by its government, making the country the world’s leader now in the technology. Last year, Germany’s RE contribution to total electricity consumption stood at 16.1% and the technology was estimated to have created 300,000 green jobs.

The proven success of FiT is the main reason for its growing popularity all around the world, including in many developing countries such as India and Mongolia.
In Malaysia, FiT forms part of the RE Act that will be tabled in Parliament next month for first reading.
Once passed, it is expected to take effect in the middle of next year, and by then, individuals or business owners can sell the electricity they generate from renewable resources to utility companies such as Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and Sarawak Energy Bhd at a fixed premium rate for a specific period.

For now, the RE resources eligible under the proposed FiT are biomass (from plantation, agriculture, forestry residues and solid waste); biogas (from plantation, agriculture, forestry residues, animal waste, landfill gas and sewage gas); mini-hydro; and solar photovoltaic.

Nevertheless, consumers may have to pay a little bit more for their monthly electricity bills to support the higher charges being levied on RE next year. A 1% tariff hike to cover the costs associated with the FiT scheme may come into force as early as January, but this will only affect users that consume more than 200kwh a month.

Under the proposed RE Act, a new RE Fund will be created, with contributions coming from the 1% levy on high users’ electricity bill. The RE Fund will be managed by the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA).

RE/MBIPV national project leader and chief technical adviser Ahmad Hadri Haris (pic) told StarBizWeek via email: “In this case, TNB will disburse the FiT payment to all FiT holders. TNB will only cover a certain displaced cost and claim the difference between the displaced cost and FiT payment from the RE Fund.”

(The displaced cost is the average cost of generating and supplying electricity through the utility’s supply line and up to the point of interconnection with the RE systems.)
“TNB will also be paid an administrative fee for managing the billing and payment system for these FiT owners,” Hadri said.

“As such, it is a win-win solution for all parties – the public can install an RE system and generate revenue; TNB does not have to bear the full cost of FiT but gets the renewable electricity; and the country would benefit from RE deployment such as creation of new green jobs.”

You can make electricity at home and sell it to TNB

Thestar: Thursday November 11, 2010

By LEONG HUNG YEE
hungyee@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: The soon-to-be implemented feed-in-tariff (FiT) mechanism under the Renewable Energy (RE) Act will enable individuals to earn income by selling electricity generated from renewable resources at home.

Under the RE Act, the public will be able to sell electricity generated from RE to utility companies such as Tenaga Nasional Bhd and Sarawak Energy Bhd at a fixed rate for a specific period.
RE/Malaysia Building Integrated Photovoltaic Technology Application (MBIPV) national project team leader and chief technical adviser Ahmad Hadri Haris said that under the RE Act, consumers can install their own renewable resources such as solar panel at home and would be a secondary income for consumers.

“Consumer producing 4KW of electricity at home will be earning more than RM400 a month. It will be a secondary income generator,” he told StarBiz at the sideline of Malakoff Corp Bhd’s 3rd Energy Expert Series yesterday.

Ahmad said consumers would also be able to offset potential tariff hike by setting up RE such as solar panels at home.

“A normal house needs 4KW while the capital required is about RM60,000. However, with FiT, consumers need to pay only 10%, or RM6,000 while the rest will be borne as a loan from a bank.

“The monthly income generated from the 4KW will be RM696 and the monthly repayment is RM456 to the bank, thus earning consumers a net cash of RM240 per month,” Ahmad said.

MBIPV is a national project under the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry to promote the use of photovoltaic (PV) technology to tap solar energy and generate electricity for buildings.
Ahmad said the Government was currently in the process of preparing the Act for a first reading in parliament next month.

He said two Acts would need to be passed in parliament for the RE to take off in the country. The first RE Act would focus on RE while the second act was to empower the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda) which will oversee the implementation of RE.

It is part of the Government’s plan to boost renewable energy contribution to Malaysia’s electricity-generation mix from less than 1% in 2009 to around 5.5% by 2015 and to 11% of all electricity generated nationwide in 2020.

Consumers may have to be prepared to pay a little bit more for their monthly electricity bills to support the higher charges being levied on RE next year. A 1% tariff hike to cover cost associated with the FiT scheme may come into force as early as January.

Ahmad said it would be a very minimal impact given that 1% of a RM100 electricity bill would cost RM1. He said some 56% of the nation would not be impacted as they consume less than 200kwh a month.

“Cost of FiT is about 1% incorporated into the electricity tariff for high consumption only (more than 200kwh a month).
“Also 1% is only 0.31 sen/kwh, so it is almost unnoticeable. In return, consumers can generate income from FiT,” Ahmad said.
“FiT is not a subsidy. It is a market support mechanism. It provides an opportunity for all to generate income from producing RE at home,” Ahmad said.
He said the Government would educate the public with an awareness campaign so that consumers can understand the FiT scheme.

The Government has set a target for 2,080 MW or 11% of all electricity generated nationwide in 2020 to be sourced from environment-friendly RE. Currently, less than 1% of the total electricity is generated from RE. In the short term, the Government has set a target of 5.5% of electricity to be generated by RE by 2015.

 
International FiT expert and independent energy policy consultant and researcher at the Environmental Policy Research Centre of Freie Universitat, Berlin, David Jacobs believes the short-term target of 5.5% is definitely achieveable. He said, however, Malaysia should have a more ambitious long-term target.

“With Malaysia targeting to achieve 25% of total usage of renewable energy by 2050, other countries would be in the 60%-70% range by then.”

Jacobs, who is attached to Universiti Tenaga Nasional’s Institute of Energy Policy and Research for six weeks under the Brain Gain Malaysia programme, said electricity tariffs for FiT should be increased by 2% to 5% instead of 1%. He said the Government’s plan to build a nuclear plant by 2020 under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) was not cost effective.
According to the ETP handbook, building the twin-unit nuclear plant would require an investment of RM21.3bil up to 2020.

Jacobs said past trends indicated that the total investment cost needed to build a nuclear plant would be twice the cost allocated initially. “The nuclear power plant in Finland was planned with an expected cost of 2.5 billion euros, but the final cost escalated to 5.0 billion euros,” he said.
“Authorities should conduct more economic viability analysis before starting the nuclear plant project. It would make more sense to extend the RE fund for development in that sector,” he said.