malaysian energy

Malaysian can benefit from the sun energy. The country had moved one step closer to support the sustainable green energy by producing feed-in opportunities for the average consumers and small scale entrepreneurs. That mean a household can install solar panels and harvest the sun power and they can sell the electricity to the National Electricity Company, TNB.

You may like to get more information on how to build solar panel from Green DIY .

This is how it works.

1. A new law, the renewable energy act 2011, enables the national energy company TNB to buy the produced electricity at a special rate.

2. A body called SEDA, sustainable malaysian energy development authority was set up as the go-between the producers of the electricity and the TNB. Anybody who wants to produce and sell the energy to TNB has to apply to SEDA . The FiA (Feed in approval) will be given when SEDA is satisfied with the quality of the electricity produced.

3. Upon approval, the FiAH -feed in approval holder will be supplied with the feed-in capability, that mean the energy produced will be allowed to be linked.

Photo cells convert the sun energy directly into electricity. So far the quota for the application have been taken for the next 5 years. For individual applicants, another 4.8MW was available. Even if the TNB does not buy the energy, it does make financial sense to install the unit. For a hot and long daylight, malaysian can rely on the energy from the sun.

The malaysian energy policy is still considered by many as rather unfocused. The country is endowed by plenty of natural gas, but the domestic usage is rather low, the usage of gas for vehicle is limited to taxis in the capital.

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recycling rainwater

There are two basic issues that rainwater recycling can address.

1. reduction of flash flood

2. reduction of the dependent on water distribution.

With more urban development, the natural water retention capability of ponds, soil absorption an natural plantation are greatly reduces. As such the rain water will tend fill up the drains and rivers at as faster rate. With the rain catchment mechanism, some of the water will be retained.

The other main reason is the reduction of the strain on the water supply. It may not seem very much, but a reduction of 10% from the supply will amount to millions of liters.

At the current cost level, the payback for the investment is not attractive. It takes 10 to 20 years to get back what you had invested. However, beside the commercial reasons, the water recycling can offer the following advantages:

a. The rain water is suitable for the secondary usage, such as flushing toilets, washing machines and watering the plants. The water is soft and does not contain chlorine. It can be used to clean floor or surfaces without leaving behind scales or stain.

b. It can help to ease the dwindling supply of water. With increase in population and the increase of urban residents, the demand for piped water is on the rise. The situation is made worst by the pollution of the rivers and natural water resources.

c. It can reduce your water bill. It is expected that the price of piped water will increase, so will be the cost of the recycling system.

The system is available for installation of the recycling system.

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solar panel plant

A new solar panel plant will be set up in Penang to manufacture the solar panel to meet the growing global demands for clean power.

The nuclear crisis in Japan as the result of the earth quake and the tsunami reaffirm the inherent risk of the nuclear power station. A survey carried out in Japan and the majority vote against the use of radio active material for the production of energy.

Given the negative perception of the nuclear power and the increasing trend of the cost of electricity, the sun power seem to be the alternative proposition. Currently, the installation of electric panel at home is still more expensive than the use of utility electrical power. But this is expected to change soon.

The manufacturing of local solar panel locally is expected to lower the cost. A new solar panel plant is being set up in Penang..

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Robert Bosch to set up solar panel manufacturing facility in Penang

Jun 23, 2011 ... PETALING JAYA: Stuttgart-based technology company Robert Bosch GmbH is investing RM2.2bil in a solar panel manufacturing plant in Batu Kawan ...

biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/6/23/business/8954633&sec=business

Thursday June 23, 2011

Robert Bosch to set up solar panel manufacturing facility in Penang

By FINTAN NG
fintan@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Stuttgart-based technology company Robert Bosch GmbH is investing RM2.2bil in a solar panel manufacturing plant in Batu Kawan, Penang, to mainly serve Asia's growing demand for solar energy.

The new plant would provide employment opportunities for 2,000 people, which would be an increase of some 40% of Robert Bosch's current workforce in the country, said Robert Bosch solar energy division head and Bosch Solar Energy AG chairman, Holger von Hebel..

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river of trash

The picture confirmed it, Klang river had been transformed to a river of trash. You could hardly see the water.

The indiscriminate dumping of rubbish in the upstream areas are causing the river to be totally polluted. It muse be a dead river, devoid of any living fishes.

The situation was covered by the newspaper the star:

===================================
Saturday February 19, 2011
Shah Alam residents fuming over trash in Klang River
By ELAN PERUMAL
elan@thestar.com.my
Photo by M. RAJAN


INDISCRIMINATE dumping of rubbish by industries and residents are affecting the quality of water in the Klang River.

The dumping of rubbish in upstream areas are affecting residents living downstream.

This is apparent during high tides and rainy weather when the rubbish from Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur travel downriver to Shah Alam and Klang.

Residents in Taman Sri Muda have expressed their dissatisfaction over the presence of a “sea of rubbish” floating in the river.

Ugly sight: The Klang River near Taman Sri Muda in Shah Alam turns into a sea of trash during high tide.
They said there was so much rubbish in the river that they could hardly see the water.

S. Tamilselvan of Taman Sri Muda said the presence of the garbage in the river was a common sight in the area.

He said the river was polluted with various types of household and industrial waste that had been dumped by irresponsible people.

“It is an eyesore as we have to witness this unpleasant sight every other time. Furthermore, the water is always murky,” he said.

Another resident C. K. Lim urged the authorities to be vigilant in their bid to stop the culprits from dumping waste into the river.

He felt that the local authorities had not been doing enough to overcome the situation.

“The condition of the polluted river is in a way affecting the quality of our lives,” he said.

Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) public relations officer Shahrin Ahmad said the garbage had been dumped by people upstream.

He said the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) was responsible for the clearing up of rubbish from the river.

“We will inform them on the presence of the waste in the river so that they can start cleaning up the river,” he said.

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guarding the mangroves trees

Mangrove trees is the natural forest on the swampy beaches in Malaysia. It was growing in abundance in the west coast of the peninsular, protected from the strong north east monsoon. The trees were being cut to the extinction main to be process and turn into charcoal and used as piling material for building construction.

When the new government took over Selangor in 2008, the license to harvest the trees were suspended. Despite this, the thieves continue to illegally cut down the log. It is estimated about 50,000 were felled despite the ban.

There seem to be total disregard for the authority, despite the constant petrol, the trees are still being cut down. However a few weeks ago some progress had been made. A two week surveillance by the Selangor Forestry Department finally bear fruit as they manage to seize about 30,000 mangrove logs with estimated value or rm300,00. A crane and 13 workers were caught.

The extinction of the mangrove trees in certain location of the beaches had brought the problem od soil erosion. Slowly the beaches front had shifted, as the protections against the winds and current normally provided by the mangrove are being removed.

sources:

The star newspaper

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