Published on: Friday, July 30, 2010 |
SAMARAHAN: Solar energy usage in Malaysia is expected to reach grid parity by 2017, said Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui.
Chin said grid parity would occur when alternative means of generating electricity, such as solar-powered electricity, reached cost parity with conventional fossil fuel-based electricity provided by the utility companies.
He said the installation of photovoltaic (PV) panels was still costly in Malaysia while the electricity offered by utility companies, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd and Sarawak Electricity Supply Corp, was still lower and cheaper.
"That is one of the reasons why we are so slow in using PV panels.
But one day it will be achieved when the production cost of PV panels goes down and the electricity rate goes up.
"We predict that in another seven to eight years from now we will achieve grid parity.
By then, more houses will install photovoltaic because it is cheaper to generate electricity," he told reporters after officiated the "Programme Mentor:1IPTA, 1 Menteri" at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), here, Thursday.
Chin, Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas, and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Senator Datuk Seri Idris Jala, are Unimas' mentors.
He said the introduction of feed-in-tariff (FIT) for renewable energy to enable users to sell excess power to the power grid next year would encourage more installation of PV panels in the country.
"With FIT, users who install PV panels in their house will get better electricity rate," he said, adding that the return on investment would take 12 to 15 years. - Bernama
