KUALA LUMPUR – The solar energy system used in the Works Ministry’s office here is expected to save the government RM9.3 million over the next 21 years, Deputy Works Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup told the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said this in a reply to Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi (Tumpat-PAS), who pointed out that the government would not have to fork out any money for the installation and maintenance of the system in the ministry for 21 years.
Che Abdullah questioned how the government would bear these costs once the 21-year period is over.
Arthur said the government will save a large amount of money due to zero operations and installation costs.
“We have introduced a new initiative. The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry will introduce net energy metering, which allows us to implement solar energy purchasing (SEP),” he said.
He said the Works Ministry will use 100MW as a government quota from SEP, with zero operations and installation costs. The government has executed this plan since March 16 this year.
“This saves us as much as RM9.3 million worth of electric bills, which can be saved up for 21 years”, he said.
Asked about future plans once the 21-year duration is up, Arthur said they will be coming up with new policies and plans later on as 21 years is still a long time away.
Similarly, he touched on the usage of solar-powered LED lights for roads in urban areas such as Selangor – despite previous incidences of stolen cables – as an initiative to use more solar-powered technology.
He added that the Public Works Department has already started installation of the lights.
He said the utilisation of solar-powered LED lights would not only decrease carbon emissions, but would also eliminate monthly electric bills. – The Vibes, December 13, 2021
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