RETIRED pharmacist Chacko Paul is among an increasing number of people who has opted for solar energy to cut down on electricity consumption while doing his part for the environment.
“Our homes can be powered with solar energy, ” he said, highlighting that it would cut down on high utility bills.
He said many were aware that solar power was a great home efficiency upgrade that could lessen carbon footprint.
“Non-renewable resources pollute our air and lead to global warming, ” he stressed, adding that more and more efforts being made by authorities to embrace renewable energy.
Chacko, 69, who lives in a four-bedroom double-storey terrace house in Teluk Pulai, Klang, realised how exorbitant his electricity bills had been with his household functioning on five-air conditioning units, two refrigerators, 20 light points and other electrical items.
“I switched to LED for all my 20 light points, hoping to bring down the electric bill but it was unsuccessful.
“Even the electric tariffs had increased. Each month, my bill was RM300 and at times higher.
“About five years ago, I turned to a sustainable approach and got five kilowatt (kWh) solar panels installed on the roof at RM35,000, ” he recounted.
Chacko said he had saved more than RM18,000 since changing to solar energy.
Solar panels function to absorb light from the sun in photovoltaic (PV) cells and transform that energy into electricity.
According to Chacko, the market for solar panels is changing rapidly, making them more affordable.
He invested in the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme, where electricity produced and supplied to the electricity grid is paid for a specific duration of 21 years for renewable energy generation.
The FIT scheme closed in March 2019.
Chacko said when electricity generated was not used, it would then be transferred to the closest grid via a separate meter.
Under the old arrangement, if the electricity generated is more than consumers’ consumption, then people like Chacko will get paid for the excess electricity channelled to the nearest electrical grid.
Currently, the Net Energy Metering (NEM) Rakyat 3.0 –- introduced in February –- provides opportunities to consumers to instal solar PV systems on their roof to save on their electricity bill.
The NEM Rakyat 3.0 is open for sign-up from now until 2023.
NEM is on a “one-to-one basis”, meaning every unit of power consumers sell to the electricity grid earns the price of what one unit of power from the grid will cost.
This scheme is for 10 years, after which consumers will practise the self-consumption concept.
Self-consumption is when electricity is generated for own consumption and any excess is not exported to the grid but stored in batteries.
Datuk Ray Tan, who is chief executive officer of Ray Go Solar EPC Sdn Bhd which is a
service provider for a wide range of solar photovoltaic systems, said the government introduced the NEM Rakyat to encourage Malaysia’s renewable energy uptake.
“NEM is one of the options for consumers to generate electricity from their own solar PV system, and offset or reduce their electricity bills.
“If a household has an estimated electricity bill of RM500 each month, they can potentially save about RM380 or close to 80% of monthly power expenditure with a seven kilowatt (kWh) solar panel, ” he said.
Tan said a household that used solar PV panels covering 400sq ft would end up with an estimated monthly bill of RM120 and, at the same time, cut down 18kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission daily, thus saving the environment.
“In fact, on an annual count, one household will see CO2 avoidance of 156 tonnes, which equals 2,475 tree seedlings that need to be grown for 10 years to absorb the CO2, ” he explained.
Seven months ago, former Port Klang Authority general manager Datuk Capt. David Padman, 67, installed solar panels at his home under the NEM Rakyat Scheme.
His double-storey property has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, seven air-conditioners, oven, washing machine, 23 light points and other electrical items.
“My electricity bill each month was an estimated RM450.
“The seven air-conditioning units and the whole lot of baking and lights contributed to the high utility bill.
“In October 2020, I installed 20 PV panels that gave 6.4kWh, ” he said.
David said opting for solar panels was a good move in offsetting energy costs, therefore he felt less guilty when switching on the air-conditioning units.
He spent RM20,000 on installing the solar panels, complete with electrical works.
“Monthly bills now are about RM80 to RM85 per month. I enjoy massive savings, ” he added.
According to experts, most consumers who instal solar panels can see their returns in five to six years.
To ease the process of installing the panels which can seem tedious, Gsparx Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), has set up a one-stop centre to provide consultation, installation, maintenance, monitoring and repair services.
Gsparx specialises in rooftop solar PV solution for retail customers.
Since 2018, it has been a solar PV investor with Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda) Malaysia providing solutions under the NEM.
TNB chief retail officer Datuk Megat Jalaluddin Megat Hassan said a 4kWp installed-capacity panel for a 22’ x 75’ link house could cost between RM18,000 and RM20,000, which covers consultation to after-sales services. He said it delivered a return on investment within a period of five to six years.
He further said that the higher the installed-capacity, the lower the unit price for each kWp.
Gsparx managing director Elmie Fairul Mashuri encourages homeowners to switch to renewable energy to save on electricity consumption.
“Our installers are registered with Seda and the Energy Commission, ” he said.
Meanwhile, Klang Consumer Association president Devadass Anjan said an increasing number of households were choosing to instal solar panels to reduce the cost of their electricity consumption.
“With ample sunlight, solar energy can be generated on one’s roof and this helps a household save hundreds of ringgit annually and become less dependent on the power grid, ” he pointed out.
He agreed that solar power was a good sustainable option for green energy choice.
“Our association is glad that rebates on assessment tax for Klang ratepayers who instal solar panels at their homes are being considered under Klang Municipal Council’s (MPK) 2022 budget, as the local authority wants to encourage ratepayers to be part of its green initiative, ” he added.
Devadass urged MPK to consider a staggered three-year rebate on the annual tax assessment for households that installed solar panels, whereby 35% was given for the first year, 25% on the second year and 10% on the third year as an incentive.
“Consumers must refer to Seda as it has a list of accredited and registered companies in the solar industry, ” he said.
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