July-August, 2020 | @green
local news
09
Solar panels
to reduce bills
Companies should
consider using PPA
Companies which want
to save on energy bills
and generate electricity
from solar panels should
consider doing so using
the solar power purchase
agreement (PPA).
The Edge Markets
reported the PPA model was a financing
option that allowed businesses to purchase
electricity at a lower tariff rate from a solar
energy company compared with the tariff
paid to an electricity distribution company
such as Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB).
Ko Chuan Zhen, a co-founder and
chief executive officer (CEO) of Plus Solar
Systems Sdn Bhd said they would incur
zero upfront cost to install the solar power
system using this model.
It would be especially helpful to businesses
eager to cut down on operational
expenses during these challenging times.
Ko observed this demand when he spoke
to clients and industry players about their
needs during the movement control order
(MCO) period.
“They wondered how they could further
save energy without incurring capital
expenditure,” said Ko.
“This accelerated our efforts to introduce
the PPA to the market and focus on promoting
this to clients during and after the MCO
period.”
The PPA model doesn’t come with battery
storage, and so the businesses will still
need to purchase a percentage of electricity
from the electricity distribution company.
As reported, this is the remaining
amount of electricity demand that cannot
be met by solar panels.
The contract period of a PPA generally
lasts from 15 to 25 years. Each contract is
customisable.
Plus Solar will be responsible for the
maintenance of the solar power system
throughout the contract period. After that
period, the solar power system belongs to
the business.
Of course, a solar PPA is not the only
method available for businesses to install
and pay for a solar power system. Companies
can also purchase outright the solar
power system.
These methods are suitable for different
kinds of businesses. According to Ko, companies
that do not want to incur an upfront
cost or worry about the maintenance of
solar power systems should opt for the PPA.
Companies that can afford to purchase
a complete solar power system, on the
other hand, should opt for this solution,
especially if they are qualified for the Green
Investment Tax Allowance (GITA) and have
employees that can service the solar power
systems.
The other areas Plus Solar will be
focusing on digitalising energy savings
for building owners will be artificial intelligence
(AI), and Internet of Things (IoT)
solutions as well as the Large Scale Solar
4 project recently opened for competitive
bidding. — @green
Fan-Straws to help
reduce plastic pollution
Edible straws were introduced by a
Malaysian enterprise, Naked Wonders,
to promote the use of eco-friendly
alternatives to plastic-based products.
It would also help achieve a
sustainable lifestyle. Andre and Melissa
founded naked Wonders in February
2020.
The edible straws called Fan-Straws
are from starch, and these straws have
all the same convenience of a traditional
plastic straw, with the benefit being:
you can eat them. Naked Wonders
aims to work with Malaysians and local
businesses in generating awareness
and changing the way we interact with
everyday disposable products.
The straw is made entirely from rice
and tapioca, and it will degrade within 90
days, World of Buzz reported.
Since its founding, many eateries
in Kuching partnered with them to use
their biodegradable straws. Kuching had
recently banned the use of plastic straws.
IPC mall launches trashto-treasure
recycling
campaign
As part of the “new normal”, Malaysia’s
IPC mall launched a campaign to
promote recycling.
At a time when national recycling
efforts are on hold, visitors can now drop
off recyclables at the mall’s Recycling &
Buy-Back Centre (R) to enjoy rewards for
selected categories.
The “Trash to Treasure” campaign
highlights IPC as the first retail destination
in Malaysia to have a facility like the R,
which introduces two new recyclable
categories – food and fabric waste.
While food waste will be bio-recycled
and turned into animal feed and organic
fertiliser, any collected fabric will be
sorted for donation or recycled into
industrial wiping cloths and upcycled into
wearables.
“Over the years, our sustainability
efforts have shown that responsibly
disposing of waste goes a long way in
creating a more sustainable environment,”
said IPC Shopping Centre PR and digital
marketing manager Mark Tan. — @green
RHB Islamic presents
eco-friendly recycled
plastic debit card
RHB ISLaMIc Bank Bhd is the first bank in
Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific region to introduce
an eco-friendly recycled plastic debit card.
It was in collaboration with WWF-Malaysia and
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT).
The Edge Markets quoted RHB Islamic Bank as
saying the RHB Visa WWF Debit Card was part of
RHB Islamic’s initiatives under its initiative “Ocean
Harmony” that aimed to raise public awareness in
the conservation and environmental sustainability
of the marine ecosystem.
A green Sea Turtle is featured on the first edition
of the eco-friendly card, as it is one of the most
endangered sea creatures in the world today.
RHB Islamic managing director Datuk Adissadikin
Ali said customers have the option to support
ocean life conservation by contributing up to 100
per cent of their profit rate or ‘Hibah’. They can
also channel a donation of RM3 to support ocean
research and development studies conducted by
UMT.
Adissadikin said: “Each RHB Visa WWF Debit
Card-holder will also enjoy 10 per cent discount
on WWF-Malaysia merchandise purchased on its
online shop, pandashop.my.”
RHB Islamic also said this initiative contributed
directly and indirectly to the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs)
particularly SDG14 (life below water) and SDG17
(partnerships for the goals).
It is in line with the RHB group’s commitment
to sustainable and responsible banking, one of the
three critical pillars of the group’s sustainability
framework.
“WWF-Malaysia supports this collaboration with
RHB’S ‘Ocean Harmony’,” said the WWF Malaysia
chief executive officer Sophia Lim.
“We believe marine turtles play essential
roles to maintain healthy marine ecosystems, and
their survival affects human survival in the long
run.
“Furthermore, the marine turtle population
is either endangered or critically endangered in
Malaysia, due to egg consumption and trade, as
well as poaching.
“Therefore, WWF-Malaysia strongly advocates
strengthening turtle legislation for better
protection.”
Meanwhile, UMT vice-chancellor Prof Datuk
Dr Nor Aieni mentioned there were tremendous
opportunities for the students to reach out to communities
through this initiative and enhancing
ocean literacy among the public simultaneously.
“Promoting ocean literacy is vital, as an ocean
literate person will be able to understand their
influence and function of the ocean and our life
concerning it,” she said.
“Thus, advocating towards greater awareness
for the sustainable of ocean resources and its
conservation.”
As reported, the cards contain state-of-the-art
contact and dual interface transaction technology
for seamless payment convenience, offered by
IDEMIA, a global leader in Augmented Identity.
— @green