Klang council to lead the way in cutting carbon footprint

KLANG Municipal Council (MPK) will take the lead to instal solar panels at its headquarters Bangunan Sultan Alam Shah with the aim of decarbonising the municipality’s energy source and improving its carbon footprint.

MPK Urban Planning Depart-ment acting director Yusrina Mohamad Yusof said the council had accepted the Environment and Water Ministry’s offer to instal solar panels.

“We are taking the lead to use solar technology on council property to motivate people, ” she said.

The move will help save energy costs, decrease carbon emissions and motivate residents as well as businesses to adopt green energy in the form of solar power.

The ministry, which awarded MPK the Diamond Recognition twice in 2017 and 2020 for being able to reduce its greenhouse gas emission, has offered the solar installation at zero cost.

Yusrina said the council wanted to experience the solar power know-how to understand its full workings.

She said this would help the department strategise and establish partnerships to achieve reasonable incentives in encouraging stakeholders to use green energy.

The Urban Planning Department is the coordinator for solar energy installation while the Engineering Department leads a team involving the Building Department and Gardens and Recreational Department under the Low-Carbon Cities Framework (LCCF) 2027.

“The Urban Planning Department must actively be involved in green energy usage.

“Gsparx Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), will instal solar panels at Dewan Hamzah which is a multipurpose hall across from the MPK’s headquarters as it has a wide rooftop area, ” she said.

Yusrina said the team involved in the test lab would get first-hand understanding on the operations as well as pin-point gaps and difficulties faced.

“It will give MPK a better understanding in drawing up green policies.”

She disclosed that the council might engage energy experts from a university to conduct studies for better implementation of green policies to ensure effective public engagement and success.

“Studies need to be done to push forward MPK’s LCCF, have it aligned to maximise outcome, take advantage of federal and state policies as well as funding channels so that the people can benefit, ” she said.

“Our plan is to see a wide-scale use of solar technology where developers, industries and institutions can instal solar panels for their operations.

“The studies will give us a direction on the approach to work with developers and design incentives.

“All of these need a time frame, resolute policies to build market confidence and the Selangor government’s support to create incentives, ” she added.