Malaysia: 5.5% total energy capacity from Renewable sources by 2015

In less than 2 years from now, Malaysia expect to generate 5.5% of its total energy capacity from renewable source. Going by what's hot on the list of Sustainable Energy Development Authority, these sources would most definitely be Biogas, Biomass, Hydro-power and Solar PV.


Wind turbines and solar PV in Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Terengganu. Photo by TNB via Pemandu.


Facts from PM's keynote address

Objective             : National energy generation mix to have 5.5% from renewable source
Timeline               : 2015, and 11% by 2020
Job created          : 50,000 (by 2020)
Economy             : RM70 bil worth of economic activity (by 2020)
CO2 avoidance    : 42.2 mil tonnes, or about 40%


As reported by the media

The Prime Minister said the government had created support mechanisms, including the Feed-in-Tariff, which pays a premium rate for green electricity to achieve the goal.

"We have pushed renewable energy into the spotlight and now aim to secure 5.5 per cent of the total energy capacity from renewable sources by 2015 and 11 per cent by 2020," he said in his keynote address at the official opening of the third International Greentech and Eco Products Exhibition and Conference Malaysia (IGEM 2012) here on Thursday.

He said it is estimated that renewable energy will generate RM70 billion worth of economic activity by 2020 and support 50,000 jobs.

"It will also avoid 42.2 million tonnes of carbon emissions, about a 40 per cent reduction, which I promised at the Copenhagen Climate Conference," he added.


Energy efficiency and other green initiatives

Alongside generating more clean electricity, Najib said Malaysia must also strive to conserve it, as energy efficiency can save Malaysia RM14 billion in Gross National Income (GNI) by 2020.

"So, we are developing Energy Services Companies to help users find savings, encouraging energy efficient appliances for homes and businesses, and supporting efficiency drives with tax incentives," he added.

He said Malaysia had good potential to become a regional hub for electric vehicles, with a vibrant, world-class industry. "That is why we reviewed the National Automotive Policy, to stimulate investments in electric vehicles, with research grants and tax incentives," he highlighted. He said Malaysia's green industries are already worth some RM67 billion and grew by six per cent between 2010 to 2011, outstripping the global green sector.

"One of my ambitions is to encourage green industries to expand and innovate, and not just for the environment, but because it is so plainly good for our economy," he added.

Najib said it is estimated that all the green projects under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) will generate a total GNI of RM53 billion by 2020.

TheGreenMechanics' two cents: We are still waiting for the launch of more affordable Electric Vehicles (EV) in Malaysia. Much has been talked about full EV and let's hope that sky-high motor vehicle prices exclude environment friendly models like EV.

Secondly, the FIT should cover other states like Sarawak and Sabah and not just those in Peninsula Malaysia. It is still unclear if the suspension on FIT scheme in Sabah has been lifted.

Source: The Star

Powering half the world with Wind by 2030

Is it possible? Will nations with good wind potential (and those with money) go for it?

In 2011, nearly 200,000 wind turbines around the world met 2.5% of global energy needs. But according to RenewableEnergyWorld, new study tells that there is every possibility that wind could power half the world with clean energy by 2030. That is pretty impressive.

Giant wind-turbine blades belong to GE Energy Financial Services. Photo: GE


Wind power fast growing

Wind power is now the fastest-growing and one of the cheapest renewable energy sources, and in last year 40.5 GW of new wind power was brought on line, bringing the global total capacity up to 238 GW. This is translated into offsetting over 600 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.

Researchers estimated that 4 million 5MW turbines operating at a height of 100 meters could provide over 7.5 TW of power, at no risk to the environment. This is more than half of our energy needs (which is estd. 5.75 TW) in 2030.


Wind power is the least damaging option

The research team is confident that of all the sources of energy, wind is one of the sources of energy with the least environmental impact. Energy from wind would come from the mixture of onshore and offshore wind turbine, with offshore likely to be more important to the future of wind due to several advantages:

• It’s right there on the coasts, where the people are. Hence lower cost to install,
• Offshore wind tends to peak in the afternoon, which is when people peak with demand for electricity,
• Offshore sites tend to be windier than onshore sites.

Wind turbines are expensive now but at the rate technology is advancing today, it would not be too far-fetched to think about 'affordability' in the near future.

TheGreenMechanics: No doubt, offshore wind turbines are less expensive in a long run, but with gigantic 100m high unsightly poles in waters near you, you'd be in for a less than desirable sea view. Of course you have to compromise a thing or two to get clean energy.


Further readings, please go to: RenewableEnergyWorld

Why do we see only one side of the moon

Do you enjoy the sight of full moon? Then you may want to read on.

Copyrighted by TheGreenMechanics

Actually it's not just 'half' or one side of the moon. A little googling and you'd find that due to slight changes called libration, we can see slightly more than half of the moon over the time of its orbit. Look at the two shots below (I took them in Penampang Sabah, Malaysia) on two different times and they will give you some idea.

End of year shot of the full moon

Full moon shot taken in Penampang, Sabah

So, why only one side?

The time taken for the Moon to spin on its axis is almost exactly the same as the time it takes to orbit the Earth. Hence, the Moon always keeps the same side pointing our way.

According to Sciencefocus, this is not a coincidence as over many years, the Earth’s gravity has forced the Moon to spin synchronously with its orbit. However, things are a bit more complicated than that. Viewed from Earth, the Moon appears to rock slowly backwards and forwards so that we see a slightly different face throughout the lunar month.

There are two main reasons for this.

• First, the Moon’s orbit around Earth is elliptical not circular so its rotation is sometimes ahead, and sometimes behind, its orbital motion. 
• Second, the Moon’s rotation axis is not at right angles to its orbit around the Earth so we can sometimes see ‘over’ or ‘under’ its poles. 

Over time this means we actually get to see about 59% of the Moon’s surface. I have illustrated that in my two shots above. I have quite a collection of moon shots, I would probably share them here in future.


Facts source: Sciencefocus
Note: The pictures are my own.