Power for the people
> Innovations in the electricity supply industry point to cleaner alternatives to light our way to a brighter future
SOMETIMES, I wish I were more disciplined about attending conferences that could teach me more useful things than the rubbish that comes through my mobile phone. Take for example the Conference of the Electric Power Supply Industry (CEPSI) 2018, hosted by Tenaga Nasional at the KL Convention Centre last week.
There I learnt a lot about changes in ESI, or the electricity supply industry, especially on energy alternatives like solar, wind, and a host of other things which one couldn’t have imagined decades ago.
With the theme ‘Reimagining Utility of the Future’, a lot of new products, services and theories were rolled out or shared about how to re-shape the industry. A lot of times, that big word ‘decarbonisation’ was repeated.
What’s that? It simply means replacing fuels of a high carbon content with fuels that have a low carbon content.
A wake-up call for oil and gas as well as coal companies, perhaps? Yes and no. Power utilities, I’ve learnt, still need conventional fuels for added security or surety.
When Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was invited to give a special address at the conference, he suggested to energy scientists and thought leaders that they should harness electricity from electric eels! That certainly drew a lot of chuckles.
But don’t laugh, as there was an attempt to do so back in 2010.
The Enoshima Aquarium in Kamakura, south of Tokyo, decided to tap energy from electric eels to power a two-metre-tall Christmas tree! I understand that while the power generated wasn’t enough to provide consistent light, it was still strong enough to allow intermittent flashing.
Electric eels have been known to stun predators with their high-power voltage. I certainly wouldn’t touch them with a 10-foot pole!
Another interesting thing I learnt from the conference is that some companies were experimenting with installing solar panels on roads! Other innovations related to solar were the production of roof and wall tiles to harness electricity from the sun.
They also included incorporating more solar technology on glass ‘curtains’ – those frameless, noise-reducing, tempered glass panels that help people admire the surrounding landscape while keeping out rain, dust, haze, and flying pests.
At the rate that technology is advancing, we certainly will be able to have more efficient power generation and consumption in time to come.
Another fascinating point I learnt was how installing smart meters in homes and industrial areas can bring a lot of benefits.
In the Philippines especially, they’ve enabled price-conscious consumers to better monitor their power usage.
Pre-paid types are even more useful, as consumers can top up their accounts at local stores whenever they run out of electricity credit, just like mobile phones.
Another positive facet of pre-paid smart meters is the reduction of electricity thefts from nearby power lines in the slum areas of Manila. Price-conscious slum dwellers are now more prepared to pay for their own power usage, and have more dignity in the process.
These pre-paid smart meters also eliminate the need for slum dwellers to ‘buy’ electricity from more well-to-do neighbours, who may even charge rates higher than the power companies!
Lastly, landlords renting out premises have also benefited, as bills can be settled on the spot with real-time information on smart meters.
You won’t need a meter reader to tell you how much you’ve consumed. That’s something useful that can be implemented in Malaysia.
We’ve all heard horror stories of rogue tenants disappearing in the still of the night without paying their electricity bills for months – and landing the owners with hefty bills totalling in the thousands!