Let’s go beyond the Earth Hour

EARTH Hour was observed on March 31 by people across the country who profess concern for the environment and climate change. However, the fleeting and superficial nature of the event makes it of dubious educational and practical value.

photo source: http://selangorhijau.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/lets-go-beyond-the-earth-hour/#more-2639
Several organisations and corporate entities, however, must be commended for implementing environmentally responsible initiatives that go beyond the hour-long festivities. This includes banking group HSBC’s used battery collection programme scheduled to run until June 5.

The predicament of the public now, however, is where to dispose of used batteries for recycling after this programme ends.

It is common knowledge that batteries contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel, which can contaminate the environment when batteries are improperly disposed of.

When incinerated, certain metals could be released into the air or can concentrate in the ash produced by the combustion process.

The disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) such as dry cell batteries and light bulbs has been a perennial problem for ordinary citizens trying to find a solution to e-waste management.

The Green Living Special Interest Group of the Malaysian Nature Society collects used batteries from the public but faces problems trying to locate a facility willing to accept them for reclamation, recycling, or safe disposal.

The only authorised scheduled waste contractor in the country is unwilling to agree to anything other than a one-off collection as a goodwill gesture.

Unlicensed “recycling” outfits which claim to “recycle” computers and other electronic waste items more often than not strip and recover only valuable metals from the electronic products and dispose of the rest of the items in the trash, and they invariably end up in landfills.

It is ironic that the Housing and Local Government Ministry claims that Malaysians do not recycle enough, yet when initiatives are made by environmental organisations to collect electronic waste and hazardous household waste for recycling or safe disposal, no corporate or governmental entity is able to offer a solution.

We strongly urge the Housing and Local Government as well as Natural Resources and the Environment ministries to implement measures to streamline and increase the recycling and safe disposal of electronic waste by:

> Phasing out the use of mercury-containing batteries through legislation;

> Ensuring uniformity in the collection, storage and transportation of batteries and hazardous waste;

> Requiring manufacturers to provide facilities for the collection of used batteries and electronic products for recycling, and instituting “producer take-back” measures; and,

> Providing facilities to collect electronic waste and hazardous household waste, including batteries, electrical appliances, light bulbs, paint and chemicals, at accessible locations, such as in front of local council buildings and residents’ association buildings.

In the meantime, the public can reduce the number of batteries entering the waste stream by not purchasing unnecessary battery-operated products and by purchasing and using rechargable batteries instead of single-use batteries.

Keeping toxic metals and environmental pollutants out of our waste stream and thus our air, soil and water should be a national health and safety concern, and not merely a month-long Earth Hour corporate social responsibility project.

WONG EE LYNN,
Coordinator, Green Living Special Interest Group,
Malaysian Nature Society.
Source ://http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F4%2F15%2Ffocus%2F11103822&sec=focus

First Solar shuts Malaysian plants

First Solar Inc, the largest thin-film panel maker, will cut about 30 per cent of its workforce, shutting manufacturing plants in Frankfurt, Germany and indefinitely idling four production lines in Malaysia this year because of a deteriorating European market.


The closures will result in about 2,000 job cuts, the Tempe, Arizona-based company said in a statement today. First Solar expects to pay US$245 million to US$370 million as a result of the job cuts and plant closures. Cost savings associated with the cuts will reduce manufacturing costs to 70 cents to 72 cents a watt this year, the company said.

“After a thorough analysis, it is clear the European market has deteriorated to the extent that our operations there are no longer economically sustainable,” Mike Ahearn, First Solar’s chairman and interim chief executive officer, said in the statement.

The announcement was made before the start of regular trading in New York. First Solar gained 2.9 per cent to US$21.43 at 8:30 a.m.. Before today, the shares had dropped 38 per cent this year. -- Bloomberg

Read more: First Solar shuts Malaysian plants http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20120417212022/Article/index_html#ixzz1sLa17ncv

The Best performance of Toyota Prius's Fuel comsumption

The best performance for Toyota Prius is about 4.4litre/100km or 813KM for 30 Litre Fuel.

Note: A full capacity of Toyota Prius's fuel tank is about 40 Litre.

Feed-in Tariff scheme fits in well with Gading Kencana

SHAH ALAM: Renewable energy (RE) services firm Gading Kencana Sdn Bhd is optimistic of a jump in revenue this year following the implementation of the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme.


The company, which offers consultancy and expertise in RE system design and installation, especially for solar photovoltaic, reported RM12 million revenue last year.

"We expect our turn-over to reach more than RM100 million this year," managing director Guntor Tobeng said.

Guntor said FiT will help Gading achieve the targeted revenue as the rates rewarded for RE players under the scheme opens up investment opportunity.

To maintain its leading position and market growth, he said Gading will continue to develop and introduce new products and services.

"We've just launched our Sun2Cash product for consumers interested in participating in the government's FiT programme," he said.

Founded by Guntor and his wife, Hasnah Awang in 1993, Gading offers consultancy, design, engineering, procurement, construction and monitoring of RE systems to customers from commercial and public sectors as well as individual households, both locally and overseas.

Its clients include Bosch Rexroth Sdn Bhd, Tesco, Kumpulan Melaka Bhd, Ministry of Higher Education and Maxis Bhd.

Guntor, who is also a well-known speaker on energy issues, has been heavily involved in projects like preparation for RE and energy-efficient blueprint for Iskandar Regional Development Authority, as well as energy-efficiency studies for sewerage treatment plants for Indah Water Konsortium and the Prime Minister's Office and Health Minister complexes in Putrajaya.

In an interview with Business Times recently, Guntor said Gading is gearing up to expand its services both at home and abroad.

"We have ongoing business projects in Yemen and United Arab Emirates," he said.

This year, Gading anticipates exports to contribute at least 10 per cent to its revenue. The company is poised to tap growth potential in other countries such as Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

For its capital expenditure (capex) this year, Gading has allocated some RM4 million. Part of the capex is for plant expansion and increasing its product range.

Looking back, Guntor said the company's biggest success was when it first gained the confidence and trust from a bank to finance its projects. "In 2007, UOB was the first bank to open the door for us to venture into a multi-million ringgit project."

Last year, Gading was ranked 19th in the Enterprise 50 Award.

Read more: Feed-in Tariff scheme fits in well with Gading Kencana http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/gadin/Article/index_html#ixzz1rV2vOB73

PJ council starts programme to light up backlane of houses

By Vincent Tan vincent.tan@thestar.com.my

HOUSE owners can start applying for their backlanes to be lit up to enhance safety and prevent crime, said Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman.About RM100,000 has been allocated for the programme which was launched by the mayor on April 3.


Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will bear the cost of wiring as well as the LED lights. The house owner will have bear the monthly electricity bill as well as replacement cost should the LED lighting be damaged.


MBPJ councillor and Green City of Petaling Jaya Task Force chairman Khairul Anuar Zainudin said the wiring and LED lights would cost about RM300 per house.


for more further infomation

http://selangorhijau.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/pj-council-starts-programme-to-light-up-backlane-of-houses/#comment-612

Note: I did put up my own comment regarding this topic at selangor hijau's blog..

TNB sasar kutip FiT RM300j setahun

TENAGA Nasional Bhd (TNB) menyasar mengutip sehingga RM300 juta setahun bagi sistem tarif galakan (FiT), yang dilaksanakan akhir tahun lalu.


Ketua Bahagian Pengedaran, Teknologi Hijau dan Tenaga Boleh Barunya, Abdul Rahim Jamil, berkata sasaran itu berdasarkan pecahan satu peratus untuk Tabung Tenaga Boleh Baru (Tabung TBB) daripada jumlah pendapatan tahunan yang diperoleh konglomerat utiliti itu, iaitu sekitar RM30 bilion. Bagaimanapun, katanya, sasaran kutipan itu turut bergantung kepada tempoh pembayaran sebenar pelanggan kepada TNB. “TNB akan membuat pembayaran pertama kepada Pihak Berkuasa Pembangunan Tenaga Lestari (SEDA),” katanya ketika program TNB bersama media di Manjung, Perak baru-baru ini.

Pada Disember lalu, pelanggan elektrik yang menggunakan lebih 300 kilowatt (kWh) sebulan diwajibkan menyumbang satu peratus daripada jumlah bil bulanan kepada Tabung TBB mengikut Akta TBB 2011.

Jumlah itu dicaj secara automatik dalam bil bulanan masing-masing yang membabitkan kira-kira 30 peratus atau 2.2 juta daripada keseluruhan 7.2 juta pemegang akaun TNB.

Dana terkumpul menerusi Tabung TBB akan digunakan untuk mempromosikan dan membangunkan projek serta inisiatif berkaitan tenaga boleh diperbaharui (RE).

Hampir semua pemegang akaun yang bakal terbabit dengan sumbangan TBB itu ialah sektor pekilangan, industri atau industri kecil dan sederhana (IKS) selain kediaman tertentu.

Sistem FiT ditadbir urus oleh SEDA yang ditubuhkan di bawah Kementerian Tenaga, Teknologi Hijau dan Air.

Mengulas lanjut, Abdul Rahim berkata, pembayaran pertama itu adalah kutipan bagi Disember, namun pihaknya menjangkakan ia bukanlah jumlah besar memandangkan FiT baru dikuatkuasakan.


“Berdasarkan peraturan ditetapkan SEDA, TNB perlu membuat pembayaran mengikut asas empat bulan. Contohnya, kutipan Disember perlu dibayar pada April dan kutipan Januari dibayar pada Mei. Begitulah seterusnya,” katanya.

Katanya, asas empat bulan itu juga berdasarkan kutipan bayaran bil pelanggan TNB yang diberikan tempoh sehingga 30 hari untuk menjelaskan bil semasa.

Sementara itu, beliau berkata, TNB berada pada landasan tepat untuk menandatangani Perjanjian Pembelian Kuasa Tenaga Boleh Diperbaharui (REPPA) dengan pelbagai pihak berkaitan.


“Buat masa ini, TNB sudah memeterai REPPA dengan pengeluar solar photovoltaic (PV) berskala kecil, manakala pengeluar berskala besar akan dimuktamadkan tidak lama lagi,” katanya.

Mengenai program RE, Abdul Rahim berkata, loji tenaga solar pertama TNB bernilai RM65 juta dengan kapasiti lima megawatt (MW) di Putrajaya akan beroperasi pada akhir tahun ini.

“Projek itu selaras dengan objektif menjana 5.5 peratus atau 985 MW bekalan elektrik menerusi RE menjelang 2015,” katanya.



Berita Harian
http://www.bharian.com.my/articles/TNBsasarkutipFiTRM300jsetahun/Article/

Earth Hour 2012

JOIN THE WORLD, SAVE THE EARTH

1 Days To Go

SWITCH OFF THE LIGHTS FOR ONE HOUR AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE

SATURDAY, 31ST MARCH 2012

8:30PM - 9:30PM

Nuclear power 'an option'

REVIEWING NEEDS: Country looking at all possible energy sources, says DPM


MALAYSIA is committed in ensuring that nuclear power is used only for peaceful means in the event the country has to resort to it.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Malaysia was fortunate as oil reserves were sufficient for energy purposes at least until 2021.

However, he added, alternative energy sources needed to be found soon.

As such, the nation was looking at all possible sources, including hydro, solar and wind power, apart from nuclear power.

"If you look at certain countries which did not have fossil fuels, like (South) Korea, they had no other alternative but to go for nuclear power. Malaysia is somewhat blessed (in that aspect).

"But we are looking to alternative sources like hydro and solar. According to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, we have oil reserves until 2021.

"There may come a time when we may have to turn to nuclear power. But the government hasn't decided on that yet," he told Malaysian reporters before the start of the two-day Seoul Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) 2012 yesterday.

He said Malaysia was prepared for the eventuality, having trained many experts in the field and taken most of the steps to fulfil its commitments agreed on in Washington during the first NSS two years ago.

"I have been briefed on nuclear power. But I understand... the rakyat may not know much about it."

Muhyiddin said this was also the case with the Lynas rare earth plant, although experts had already explained that it was not a risk.

"Sadly, there are those who refuse to accept this. That is why we set up the parliamentary select committee, to remove all doubts. But, as you know, the opposition refuses to take part in it."

Muhyiddin said many people did not know that Malaysia was already using nuclear technology in fields such as medi-cine and health, farming and even food processing.

And, he added, the rakyat should be made more aware of the possible need for nuclear power and its benefits.

Muhyiddin said experts would try to explain such things to the people in future awareness programmes so that, if and when the government decides that the country needs nuclear power, the rakyat would not make the wrong assumptions.

Read more: Nuclear power 'an option' - Top News - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/top-news/nuclear-power-an-option-1.66570?localLinksEnabled=false/Article#ixzz1qIAeR3Tw

Time frame set for renewable energy to impact electricity supply

PUTRAJAYA: A three-year time frame is being set for renewable energy (RE) activities to kick off with expected higher funding and quotas.


“We are now at the stage of looking at this preliminary period in the implementation process,” Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Peter Chin told StarBiz.

“We would like to see a higher level of RE being generated in the future. But it is better to be more cautious and look at what this preliminary process is like in our implementation and the administration process by the Sustainable Energy Development Authority Malaysia (SEDA Malaysia). We have to learn from this preliminary phase before we proceed in a more aggressive manner.

We are looking at about three years to see how this RE is performing especially with solar energy. — Datuk Seri Peter Chin

“We are looking at about three years to see how this RE is performing especially with solar energy for which the cost of solar production is getting lower and lower.”

On the progress of the RE sector, Chin said: “We are restricted by the amount in the kitty called the RE Fund for which we can only collect 1% from each account holder of Tenaga Nasional Bhd. Therefore, the quota that is being created to implement this feed-in tariff has to be rather small.

“Because of that, it will take time for RE to really take effect in terms of the impact that it can create on the total electricity supply.

“If the fund is higher, the quota can be increased and more RE can be generated. That will be good for the country in terms of emission of carbon and the fact that RE is considered a cleaner source of energy.”

Currently, 398 applicants have received the feed-in approvals. Out of these, 71 have signed the standardised renewable energy power purchase agreements (REPPAs).

FIT payments can only be made to those developers who have signed the REPPAs and implemented their projects successfully.

Industry players suggest there should be a liability imposed on those who have not implemented their projects as money is a scarce resource.

“In fact, they should be relieved of their allocation so that others can take their place. Deadlines should be set for implementation; under the REPPAs, there may be deadlines stipulated but who is actually monitoring all this?” asked an industry player.

SEDA Malaysia acts as a one-stop centre to facilitate interested parties in all matters related to RE; it is also working with relevant training institutes to set up a centre of excellence for each RE source.

In terms of research and development, SEDA Malaysia is working on an R&D roadmap for RE.

It has also been tasked to raise awareness on RE; one main awareness programme that has been planned is a sustainable energy conference.

Source: The star

UTAR to cash in on solar technology

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) is in the final stage of research in a new solar power project and is looking for partners o commercialise this technology.
The new high concentrator photovoltaic system plant was expected to be commercialised in 2015, UTAR President Datuk Dr Chuah Hean Teik told reporters during a visit by Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui to UTAR's power plant site here today. -- Bernama

Read more: UTAR to cash in on solar technology http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20120319130035/Article/index_html#ixzz1pXYmnZxJ