RENEWABLE ENERGY TAKES CENTRE STAGE
Focus shifts to green sources such as biomass, solar and hydro power
FOSSIL fuels are increasingly becoming a thing of the past as the future now lies in the renewable and sustainability of clean energy.
Data from Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) showed that electricity demand grew by four per cent in the financial year ended August 31 last year.
In fact, actual energy demand for Malaysia is forecast to grow to 20.3 gigawatts in 2020 from 16.9 gigawatts in 2015, in line with the country’s acceleration towards the high- income status by 2020.
The national utility company did not provide a projection for this year but said demand is expected to increase in tandem with the country’s economic growth of between four to five per cent.
Thus, the upcoming Electrical, Power and Renewable Energy (EPRE 2017) conference is more relevant than ever as it focuses on the myriad of green energy sources such as biomass, solar power, hydro energy and so on.
Themed “The Essence of Energy”, EPRE 2017, scheduled to be held from tomorrow to Friday March at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, will showcase a vast range of the region’s latest technology, equipment and machinery in the fields of power generation, transmission and the renewable technologies.
Chew Shee Fuee, president of the Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) said the field it is set for electrical and electronics (E&E) players in the conference.
“There are a lot of opportunities in the market now for E&E players as Malaysia transitions from using fossil fuels to clean energy,” said Chew.
“TEEAM has 1,868 members and we believe our members will gain from our participation in this exhibition as there are plenty of networking and collaboration opportunities,” he said.
Meanwhile, EPRE’s other main supporter, Malaysian Photovoltaic Industry Association (MPIA), said the conference is more than just a networking opportunity. It is also a chance to show the public on the latest developments in the photovoltaic (PV) industry in Malaysia.
“In the past, MPIA has supported and fought for tax incentives such as Investment Tax Allowance and Capital Allowance from Malaysian Investment Development Authority,” said its treasurer, Hatim Salleh.
“In fact, we have been negotiating with the Finance Ministry for the past decade for personal tax breaks for house owners who wish to install solar panels on their roofs.
“We are also in talks with certain state governments to expand their solar green agenda,” he said.
For EPRE 2017, MPIA will be giving out the SURIA directory which contains information on solar installation service providers.
Alun Jones, general manager ofthe Malaysian Exhibition Services Sdn Bhd, said the turnout for this year is expected to be healthy given the ongoing interest in clean energy.