ISKANDAR PUTERI: The state government is looking at using solar panels for government administration buildings here as part of its long-term initiative in promoting the use of renewable energy (RE) to the community.
State International Trade, Investment and Utilities Committee Chairman Jimmy Puah Wee Tse said it was only natural for the Johor government to take the lead in implementing this project.
“Currently, we are talking to several solar companies. Johor will start working towards having a few solar-powered state government buildings.
“Once we achieve that, then we can get the local authorities (PBT) involved. The third stage will involve the private sector.
“I want to inspire other people to do it. If the government can do it, I hope the PBT can do it, (after that) why not the private sector too? “ he told Bernama in an interview, recently.
Stressing that the key to this initiative was not to gain money, but more to get social awareness, Puah said there was a lot of potential for solar power in Johor.
“There are so many places where you can put solar panels like car parks, shopping complexes, bus stations and schools. It is a waste for not tapping into this energy.
“The cost of solar panels have also dropped so low. Now is the right time to do this and it is also profitable to do it,” he said.
Puah was also glad that the state’s initiative also gained support from the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin.
He said the discussion (to solar power the state government administration office in Iskandar Puteri) has been going on for several months now.
“It involved certain cost issues, which format we want to use and not only one company that we are talking to because we are doing open tender. So we have a few companies, in fact foreign companies are also interested to do it.
“The deal is that they are willing to forgo any cost but we have to sign with them for quite a long time,” Puah said.
The Bukit Batu Assemblyman also said the state government was looking at a suitable timeline for the deal of not more than 15 years.
“I hope to be able to finalise the deals by end of this year so that we can start using the solar panels by next year,” he added. — Bernama
