Penang promotes green technology

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government will be giving RM500 to commercial or residential unit owners who have installed rain water harvesting systems in their buildings this year.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the Penang Rainwater Harvesting Incentive (PRHI) will be offered to the first 20 applicants who have submitted complete documentation.

He said the incentive will be given on a "first come, first serve" basis and was aimed at encouraging a healthy water usage pattern.

Lim noted that water consumption in Penang was the highest in the country with consumption at 298 liters per capita per day (l/c/d) compared to the national average of 212 l/c/d.

"The PRHI is aimed at reducing the dependency of treated water for non-potable purposes," he said in a press conference today.

Lim said the PRHI was one of eight programmes promoting the sustainable use of resources that his administration had allocated RM657,000 for the duration of 2015.

He said among the programmess was the Penang Green Innovation Incentive (PGII) with a RM400,000 allocation whereby seed money and patent financing was provided for green products.

Others include the Penang Green Office Certification Incentive (PGO) with RM110,000, RM85,000 for the Penang Green School Award, RM28,000 for the Penang Green Journalism Award and RM14,000 to the Penang Green Video Contest.