KUALA TERENGGANU: The Terengganu Government is looking at extending statewide solar-powered electricity supply to homes of the hardcore poor.
Seven hardcore poor families in Gong Mak Son, Besut are the first to get the free and environment-friendly power supply. The families living in houses built under the Government’s Poverty Eradication Programme had been relying on aging diesel generators.
The solar power project was initiated by Jerteh assemblyman Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, with the equipment manufactured and installed by Terengganu-based SolarTIF Sdn Bhd.
State Industrial, Commerce and Environment Committee chairman Toh Chin Yaw said the state hoped to gradually convert the source of electricity in rural villages to the green energy.
Getting help from the sun: Idris (middle) looking at the supply room in Gong Mak Son, Besut. “It’s not only environmentally friendly, it saves cost too,” he told StarMetro here on Monday.
He said SolarTIF was able to manufacture the equipment at its plant in Chendering and the hardcore poor would not need to worry about paying the monthly electricity bills once the solar system was installed at their houses.
“The company has the technology and the state government will have to work closely with them to lay out the plans,” said Toh.
He said the system would phase out the dependency on diesel-powered generators which were uneconomical and noisy.
“It is not prudent for the state to continue using these generators, hence solar power is an alternative to be looked into,” he added.
According to Idris, the Government spent RM100,000 to install the solar-thermal gadgets at the seven homes thus enabling the families to enjoy free and undisrupted electricity supply.
He explained that the system used a photovoltaic (PV) module capable of generating 1,980W of energy through 18 absorber tubes.
“The system is based on a linked collection of photovoltaic modules, which are in turn made of multiple interconnected solar cells.
“The cells convert solar energy into direct electricity current. An inverter is used to convert that into alternating current which can be channeled into existing infrastructure,” he said.
Idris added that the system was equipped with a battery back-up circuit.
He visited Gong Mak Son recently and switched on the light in one of the houses to symbolise the launch of the power suppply project for the poor in Besut.
The event was witnessed by Besut MP Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin and SolarTIF chief executive officer Shamsul Ezan Zairi.
Idris said the system was capable of generating supply for the next 25 years.
