Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Public Service Announcement

[Kg. Duku solar hybrid station, Sibu Island]

Solar hybrid electricity supply system:

Electricity generation via combination of solar-powered panels and one or more of other means, in this case, diesel generator(s).

Battery banks will store excess electricity from the solar panels until needed. The diesel generator will only kick in when necessary, i.e. when electricity from the solar panels and battery banks are inadequate to cater for current demand.

The wonderful solar hybrid system gives a new chance to those dwelling in really remote areas and small islands to enjoy 24-hour electricity supply where previously it would be simply impossible or too expensive to do so.


And eat your hearts out for chances are, the makciks and pakciks of serene Kg Duku in Pulau Sibu, a quaint little island off the shores of Mersing, Johor will enjoy little (with very high chance of it being ZERO) blackout instances compared to the rest of us who are connected to the national electricity gridlines.

But before everybody run around to ask where you could get one for your house, a solar hybrid station currently would cost in excess of a whopping RM uno million.

At the moment six solar hybrid stations are operating in the islands of Pulau Pemanggil, Pulau Sibu, Pulau Aur and Pulau Besar in Mersing, Johor at a cost of RM8.9 million funded by Malaysia Electricity Supply Industry Trust Account. More solar hybrid stations are already in the pipeline for Pulau Tinggi (also offshore Mersing), Orang Asli settlements in the Peninsular as well as remote villages in Sabah.

So don't forget every time you may flick that switch day or night oh-so-easily, there are people who does not have that luxury as yet. Yes, even here in Malaysia. But we're moving forward, step by step. And solar hybrid technology is just one of many.

Go electric!

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Also read :
1. Future looks brighter for Johor's islanders
2. Several Countries Interested in Solar Hybrid


[Picture credit : TNB Energy Services Sdn. Bhd.]

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