Free Power for All
Posted on: Sunday, 15 July 2007, 21:08 CDT
By Zuhaila Sedek
THOUGH it has been available since the Earth was formed, solar power has yet to be fully exploited, even though it is a source of free energy.
With the world's gas and oil reserves rapidly depleting as more countries experience booming economic growth and demand more of these resources for transport and power generation, Malaysia is joining many others in trying to cut back on the use of oil and gas.
But what can they be replaced with? In Malaysia, which is blessed with abundant sunlight, the most obvious answer - and one which would be sustainable - is solar power.
This is the message the Pusat Tenaga Malaysia (PTM) wants to propagate as it embarks on plans to make solar-powered townships a reality.
The effort in this direction comes in the form of the RM15 million Suria 1000 programme, under which assistance will be given to homeowners and developers to install Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) systems in their homes and projects, at a discounted price.
Building an entire township powered by the sun will take time and PTM has no false dreams about this.
"It took Japan 15 years to develop a BIPV township, while Germany took 12 years," said Suria 1000 National Project Leader Ahmad Hadri Haris.
"We do not entertain false hopes, but we believe we can do it in 10 years."
The reason why BIPV isn't widely used in the country, he said, is because of the high cost of the system's parts, especially the photovoltaics (PV), which are the "solar cells".
"The PV and other components are now imported from Japan, the United States, China, India, Thailand and Europe ... but commercialising BIPV through Suria 1000 will eventually create the economies of scale for them to be made locally.
"The government is also encouraging foreign manufacturers to set up plants here."
Suria for homes
With Suria 1000, homeowners can bid to get rebates of up to 75 per cent of the cost of installing BIPV systems in their homes.
Bidding at auctions, held since December 2006, will continue until 2010 and so far, 14 homeowners have succeeded in getting rebates in the first auction that was concluded recently.
"Collectively, they will pay RM761,194 or 46.8 per cent of the total cost of RM1,631,465 for the systems installed in their homes," said Hadri.
"One bidder was even willing to pay as much as RM75,000 for a 4.8 kiloWatt power (kWp) system, indicating the strong interest among the eco-conscious affluent."
The maximum rebate offered, he said, would be reduced in coming auctions to encourage early birds to bid and to eliminate the "subsidy mentality".
"As demand (for BIPV systems) picks up, we expect the cost to come down, making it affordable even without the subsidy."
Hadri pointed out that the country's BIPV systems adopt the "net- metering approach", which is a deal that allows owners to set-off the cost of Tenaga Nasional-supplied electricity consumed by their homes with electricity produced by the BIPV system.
"As BIPV homes will be connected to the National Electricity Grid, if they consume more power than the solar energy generated, then owners will have to pay Tenaga Nasional for the excess energy consumed.
"However, if consumption is lower than the solar capacity, then they will get a rebate on the TNB bill," explained Hadri.
"Generally, BIPV homeowners can save between RM150 and RM200 a month on their bill."
Suria for developers
To attract the country's developers to also join the programme, PTM has "Suria for developers", a plan that slows them to enjoy incentives from a RM3 million fund.
Developers can apply to PTM to join the programme, under which two developers will be selected at each auction to receive discounts.
"Developers in Japan create their BIPV townships with standard features, complete with BIPV system, at a standard price, to make units affordable," said Hadri.
"For now, we have to give incentives to developers. However, when there is sufficient demand (for BIPV), we can remove the subsidy as the cost of the system will come down ... for now, however, we need a starting point."
Developers SP Setia Bhd and Putrajaya Perdana Bhd are the first to receive special showcase incentives to build BIPV homes.
With it, Putrajaya Perdana will install the system in four houses in Putrajaya while SP Setia will put it in six bungalows at its Setia Eco Park development in Shah Alam, Selangor.
"We urge developers to create house designs that architecturally complement the BIPV systems ... these would be better accepted than houses which don't consider how the system will look in the overall scheme," said Hadri. SP Setia associate company Bandar Eco Setia Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Koe Peng Kang said he is excited to be a part of the pilot project and is "confident the BIPV-fitted homes will enhance the appeal of the project".
"PTM saw our commitment to deliver an enhanced living environment. Our eco-villas are designed to accept BIPV systems as they have flat roofs that make installation easier," Koe said.
A flat surface, Hadri said, collects sunlight better.
One good example is the flat surface PV design at the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana in California, United States, where the Solar Cube stands.
For more information, visit suria1000@ptm.org.my
(c) 2007 New Straits Times. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: New Straits Times
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