SERDANG: Public universities are encouraged to install solar panel as an alternative to help meet the daily electricity consumption, said Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (pix).
At the moment, he said Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), and Universiti Malaya (UM) have already started the usage of solar panel in their respective campuses to support the government’s aspiration in preserving the country’s electricity supply system.
“It (solar installation) is a positive thing because the university can see how to use solar panels and renewable energy (RBE).
“For public universities that do a lot of research, the impact is very positive not only in terms of energy saving but also in terms of the research carried out,“ he told reporters after the launching ceremony of UPM’s Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Project here today.
A memorandum of understanding was also signed between UPM and Syarikat Hampshire Automotive Sdn Bhd for research in the field of electric vehicles (EV) and ‘battery energy storage system’ (BESS) aimed at supporting the country’s energy transition policy and the country’s efforts to achieve the 45 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 .
According to Nik Nazmi, the implementation of solar PV projects along with EV and BESS research is a decarbonisation step that dominates and shapes the direction of geopolitical, economic, investment and trade development in the world today.
“Therefore, in facing the challenges and unraveling the environmental pollution problems that alternate, the synergy between the government sector, public universities and industry should continue to be consolidated through comprehensive enforcement activities,“ he said.
Meanwhile, UPM vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah in his speech said UPM has established a strategic partnership with Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) through its wholly-owned subsidiary GSPARX Sdn Bhd starting in January 2022 through the installation of a solar system with a capacity of 16.18 megawatts (MW) or known as SURIA16 at 12 locations around the university.
It includes buildings such as a mosque, a parking roof and a large-scale integrated hydroponic-aquavoltaic floating solar project housed at UPM Faculty of Engineering.
As of September, he said the UPM solar rooftop project or SURIA16 had provided savings of up to RM2.47 million and was able to reduce 14,665 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. -Bernama
