Fadillah Launches Residential Solar Pilot Project

SHAH ALAM, Sept 26 (Bernama) -- The Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry today launched a residential solar pilot project aimed at increasing the renewable energy mix in the country's electricity supply.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the project, carried out under the Community Renewable Energy Aggregation Mechanism (CREAM) programme, was implemented via a strategic collaboration between Sime Darby Property and Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB).

Fadillah, who is also the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, said the project was initiated in Bandar Elmina under Sime Darby Property management, and is among the earliest participants under CREAM, and will continue with the third-party access initiative to supply green electricity to consumers.

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"This collaboration, led by Sime Darby Property and TNB subsidiary GSPARX, is highly welcomed and proves the proactive steps taken by the corporate sector in supporting the government's call to lead the change toward a more sustainable future.

"The implementation of this programme is also part of the ministry's efforts under the framework of the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) to increase the share of renewable energy in the country’s electricity supply to 70 per cent by 2050," he said at the Sime Darby Property residential solar project launch here today.

Fadillah said house owners can lease or rent their premises' rooftop space to third parties via the programme to combine with other rooftops to develop a solar photovoltaic power generation system to produce green electricity for local users.

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He said Sime Darby Property will act as the local renewable energy aggregator, responsible for combining green electricity generation from these rooftop spaces and matching this electricity generation with offtakers to meet their environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments.

"I look forward to Sime Darby Property's success in implementing this programme so that it can be a benchmark and proof of concept to implement renewable energy generation initiatives at the community and local levels via the CREAM programme, " he said.

Fadillah also expressed his commitment to ensuring that progressive and business-friendly policies support the programme’s implementation. Reducing the programme’s community access charge by 40 per cent, from 15 sen/kWh to 9 sen/kWh is among the initial steps taken.

"Simultaneously, I will also ensure that regulator Energy Commission and TNB, the distribution system owner, will prioritise efforts to strengthen the current system and distribution network to become smarter and more flexible for higher local renewable energy integration," he said.

-- BERNAMA