Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Renewable energy tariff bidding to go online from Dec

KUALA LUMPUR: Renewable energy (RE) producers will not automatically receive payment under the feed-in tariff (FiT) from December 2011.

Nevertheless, consumers in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, whose monthly electricity bills exceed RM77, will have to start paying an additional 1 per cent levy to subsidise RE producers from December 2011.

The FiT essentially guarantees RE producers a premium selling price over that generated from depleting and finite sources such as oil, gas and coal.

Power generated from sustainable sources that will benefit from FiT includes that of oil palm biomass, biogas, small hydro and solar.

Energy, Green Technology and Water minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin said, "RE producers need to go online and bid for the RE quota and the relevant FiT rate.

"This is because the FiT rate differs for different RE technologies and installed capacities."

Chin said this is the first time a government agency is facilitating FiT bidding via the Internet.

"This is to ensure a transparent application process. The online FiT application system is available from December 2011," he told reporters after witnessing the signing of memorandum of understanding between Flexo-research Malaysia and Flexoresearch Thailand here yesterday.

RE producers have to apply for licence from Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda) via http://seda.gov.my/.

Chin said during the application for a FiT approval, an eligible producer will be required to submit the work plan for their RE installation/plant. Once the Feed-in-Approval is granted, Seda will closely monitor each RE installation/plant until commencement date is achieved.

This close monitoring is to prevent the applicant from monopolising the RE quota. This monitoring is important as once a FiT application has been approved, a portion of the RE fund will automatically be allocated to the approved applicant.

The minister said the RE quota is revised accordingly to take into account the reduced RE Fund availability.

To avoid any monopolisation of the RE quota, Chin said Seda's online system will track the RE installation/plant's milestones via the submitted work plan.

If any delays are detected, a notice will be sent to the applicant to request for an explanation for the delay. If the applicant fails to respond satisfactorily, then the application will be revoked.

When that happens, the fund committed to the applicant will be released, and this will return the allocated quota to the system.

"This is to prevent any abuse of the FiT system and to allow other interested parties to apply for the FiT," Chin added

Read more: Renewable energy tariff bidding to go online from Dec http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/REbid/Article/#ixzz1b8aqPvUS

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

More gas-fired power plants

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia plans to call for bids by as early as the first quarter of next year to help build gas-fired power plants in Peninsular Malaysia.


Energy Commission (EC) chairman, Tan Sri Ahmad Tajuddin Ali said the country will need another 4,500 megawatts (MW) from 2017 and all of that will be fuelled by gas.

The initial tender will be for a 750MW gas-fired plant.

"The 750MW is part of the 4,500MW that will be needed in 2017 ... We hope through this process, we will get offers that are competitive, so we will be able to maintain at least reasonable tariffs to the consumers," Ahmad Tajuddin told newsmen after launching the International Energy Regulatory Forum 2011 in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The EC is now preparing tender documents and is also in the midst of appointing consultants for the job.

Apart from saying that the power plants will be in Peninsular Malaysia, Ahmad Tajuddin did not say where they would be located.

Asked if there will be competitive bidding for the new jobs on offer, Ahmad Tajuddin said the bids will be based on an open competitive bidding process.

This year alone, two major power plant contracts have been given out by the government to help secure the country's future energy requirements.

The government recently awarded 1,000MW coal-fired power plant contracts to Tenaga Nasional Bhd and Malakoff Corp Bhd.

These power plants are being built in Manjung, Perak and Tanjung Bin, Johor, and are slated to be commissioned in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Read more: More gas-fired power plants http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/ecbid-2/Article/index_html#ixzz1aXHQkUqf

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Need to define 'green technology' clearly

THE newly announced duty exemption for franchise holders of electric vehicles and hybrid cars is a good initiative. However, such vehicles have a limited impact on cutting down carbon dioxide (CO2) emission.


Electric vehicles reduce exhaust pollution but do not help much to cut overall carbon emission. This is due to our high carbon emission in electricity generation and supply.

In Malaysia, electricity production efficiency is about 35 per cent. Each kiloWatthour releases 0.69 kg of CO2.

This electricity is converted to charge the battery of an electric car. If the efficiency of that electricity converter is only 60 per cent, the electric car's battery will be only 21 per cent efficient in the total use of electricity.

So, it wastes energy resources and emits more CO2 than direct combustion of fuel in an engine.

In many developed nations, energy efficiency is developed first and renewable energy (RE) is introduced after that.

Malaysia set up the Sustainable Energy Development Authority recently to govern small scale RE development. However, large-scale RE projects and research and development of RE are not governed by this agency. And there is a serious lack in energy efficiency.

There should be a clear definition, identification, standard, labelling and certification of what is green and otherwise. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a good tool to ensure this.

However, its adoption in Malaysia has been very slow due to lack of funding and database development. LCA will play a vital role in building Malaysia as a green technology hub.

* The writer is the president of Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER)

http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/hippie/Article/





Read more: Need to define 'green technology' clearly http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/hippie/Article/#ixzz1aHPezPcO

Proton sees fillip to green car ownership

The government's efforts in driving the "green" initiative as outlined in the 2012 Budget, will encourage market acceptance and further motivate Malaysians to own green vehicles, says Proton Holdings Bhd (Proton).


Its Group Managing Director, Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said: "This is a positive point for Proton as we are moving towards this direction with the development of green vehicles, namely the Saga EV and Exora REEV."

Both cars are now being put on road-trial via Proton's Fleeting Testing Vehicle (FTV) Programme with the government, he said in a statement today.

However, he hoped, that this will be subsequently followed with more initiatives by the government to further encourage the take-up of such vehicles, including measures to reduce cost of ownership and localisation of related component parts.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in tabling the 2012 Budget in Parliament yesterday, proposed a full exemption of import and excise duty on hybrid and electric cars to continue to be given to franchise holders, to promote green technology and ensure sustainable development of the industry.

Meanwhile, Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) Managing Director, Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said the 2012 Budget will definitely help lessen the impact of global economic challenges. -- Bernama

http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20111008153932/Article/index_html

Malaysian-funded solar water for children in Ladakh

LEH: A group of Malaysians has proven that charity is borderless and colour blind.


For almost a decade, Buddhist Gem Fellowship (BGF) members have been rendering humanitarian services to underprivileged children in remote Ladakh, a parched Himalayan mountainous region in Jammu and Kashmir, in northern India.

Using funds, largely donated by a low-profile Malaysian woman philanthropist, they cheer up nearly 500 mountainous children at monasteries and schools in the Leh Valley in Ladakh.

The philanthropist-funded solar water system provides hot water, underground water supply and irrigation system to water vegetables and fruit trees in the arid land of the monasteries.

"Now, there is a 24-hour hot water supply at eight buildings, even in winter," BGF member Charlie Chia Lui Meng, who had been spearheading these projects, told Bernama.

In the sprawling Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre in Leh, a sizeable Malaysian charity helps local children go to school and provide basic needs to many, aged between five and 15.

"Children from 65 villages from the high mountains live here (monastery and boarding schools) and our focus is on helping poor and backward families.

"Malaysian-sponsored projects, big or small, are a big help for us and they have been our big supporters," said Venerable Bhikkhu Sanghasena, founder and chief monk of Mahabodhi.

In 1986, the former soldier-turned-monk started the centre to help spread spiritual teachings and offer social services for people in the remote Ladakh.

Today, as the harsh Himalayan winter approaches, the centre provides shelter to the aged, those with impaired vision, boarding school students and little monks and nuns living at an altitude of 3,500m. - Bernama

source:the star

2012財政預算案‧優惠延長2年‧混動車免稅至2013年

吉隆坡7日訊)2012年財政預算案建議,進口油電混合系統(Hybrid)汽車或電子車享有100%豁免入口稅及國產稅的優惠,將延長2年至2013年。


政府在2011年財政預算案中,為了把大馬打造成為本區域的油電混合系統汽車中心,宣佈從2011年1月至2011年12月31日期間,讓引進整裝進口(CBU)的油電混合系統新車與電子車,100%豁免進口稅及國產稅。

為了進一步提昇油電混合系統汽車在大馬使用率,政府建議將上述優惠延長2年。

須符合特定條規要享有上述免稅措施必須符合一定的條規,包括油電混合車必須符合聯合國的定義(在驅動汽車方面,車子至少擁有兩種不同的能源轉換器及能源儲存系統)、引擎容積低於2千CC的載客新車、引擎規格至少符合歐盟3型(Euro3)標準。

同時,車子須通過陸路交通局確認為油電混合系統,取得‘車輛類型認證’,同時和其他以汽油驅動的汽車相比,在城市駕駛的耗油量證實能節省不少過50%、在城市和高速公路行駛節省不少過25%,每公里的排碳量也不能超過2.3克。

至於電子車必須符合聯合國的定義,僅限整裝進口(CBU)、擁有低於100kw電力引擎的全新電子車。

2012年財政預算案】
(星洲日報)

http://www.sinchew-i.com/sciWWW/node/244712?tid=783

Monday, October 3, 2011

Air con at 24°C ‘will save govt RM100m’

PUTRAJAYA: The government can save about RM100 million a year when the 24,300 government premises observe the 24° Celsius temperature limit for air conditioning.


The measure will be implemented as soon as the chief secretary to the government issues a circular.

Public Works Department directorgeneral Datuk Mohd Noor Yaacob said some of these premises comprised three to five buildings.

He said increasing the temperature by a degree could save five per cent of the energy that went towards air conditioning.

The department’s building here, he said, could save up to RM60,000 a year by setting the air conditioning temperature at 24°C.

“This is definitely a good practice as the money saved could be channelled to other uses. We could use it to maintain roads and other facilities,” Noor said in an interview.

He said the government was spending RM3.5 billion annually on utilities, including electricity, water and phone bills.

Asked about online comments that the government should focus on bigger things, Noor said even the three “R” campaign — reduce, reuse and recycle — was based on small efforts. “If we can’t do the small things well, how can we do the big things?” In August, the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry ordered all government offices to set their airconditioning no lower than 24ºC. In every government office, at least 40 per cent of energy consumed goes to air-conditioning.

The order will be extended to the private sector by 2013.

Energy Commission senior executive (Demand Side Management) Zul Azri Hamidon said government offices accounted for about 17 per cent of commercial floor space, while the remaining 83 per cent was for non-government buildings nationwide, including offices and shopping complexes.

The floor space calculated is based on the size of the building.

“This means that non-government buildings can save up to five times what government premises can save,” Zul Azri sai

Read more: Air con at 24°C ‘will save govt RM100m’ http://www.nst.com.my/articles/2011100301101820111003011018/Article//Article#ixzz1Zh2NeWY1

Thailand : The World's Largest 73MW Micro Amorphous Solar Power PLant (Is sun fueled by Sharp)



An Aeriel View of the world's largest thin film silicon solar power plant in Lopburi, Thailand that will generate 73MW of electricity in 2011 with over 500,000 SHARP solar panels to power 70,000 homes.( value calculated on the basic of the average home in Thailand consuming 1438.8kW per year.