Mohamad Zahri (third from left) launching Petaling Jaya Low Carbon Building Action Plan. — LOW BOON TAT/The Star
Mayor says retrofitting efforts has led to lower energy use
Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has saved about RM600,000 a year in electricity bills after retrofitting several council buildings.
The savings was equivalent to 1.33 million kWh of energy use per year across 11 buildings, including several MBPJ halls.
Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said since 2016, MBPJ had conducted energy audits on 11 buildings and since 2019, 14 buildings have been equipped with the Building Energy Data Online Monitoring System (Bedos).
“With the system, we can track energy consumption in real time.
“When there is an unusual spike in usage, we can identify where the leak or wastage is occurring.
“Switching to LED lights has also contributed significantly to the savings,” he said at the launch of the Petaling Jaya Low Carbon Building Action Plan yesterday at a hotel in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
The event was attended by officers from several Selangor local authorities, consultants and architects.
Mohamad Zahri added that the national target was to reduce carbon intensity and greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030, while MBPJ aimed for a 33% reduction by 2030 under its PJ Climate Action Plan 2030.
Since 2015, MBPJ has developed several strategic plans, which serve as a framework for making Petaling Jaya a greener and more sustainable city.
“Our action plans include capacity building through knowledge sharing and learning, managing energy consumption, conducting energy audits, implementing online energy monitoring systems and promoting low-carbon buildings,” said Mohamad Zahri.
Among the challenges, he noted, was the high cost of retrofitting older buildings to improve energy efficiency.
“At Menara MBPJ, MBPJ Library and MBPJ Dewan Sivik, we replaced the air-conditioning systems to save energy, while at the stadium, the lights were replaced with LEDs.
“The first step we take is auditing. Through the audit, we obtain energy consumption data, which helps us determine the budget needed for upgrade or retrofit efforts during our annual budget planning,” he said.
MBPJ has also won several national-level awards for its energy-saving initiatives.
The mayor said its Low Carbon City Plan was not only about saving energy but also reflected the city council’s commitment to minimising climate change impacts through the reduction of carbon emissions.
During the event, Energy Commission deputy director Raja Mohd Fadhil Raja Hasan said energy efficiency means using less energy to perform the same task without compromising safety, comfort or quality.
“Energy efficiency doesn’t mean completely cutting energy use, but rather ensuring that comfort and quality of life are maintained,” he said.
