SHAH ALAM: The government will soon announce a new policy for developers to incorporate solar photovoltaics (PV) systems in new buildings.

Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change minister Yeo Bee Yin said the move was part of efforts to encourage more use of solar PVs in the country.

According to her, the country boasts vast rooftop spaces where solar PV systems can be installed with the aim of reducing electricity usage.

“Malaysia has about 3.2 million landed houses, 450,000 shoplots, 21,000 standalone factories and 1,000 shopping complexes. That is a lot of rooftop space.

“That is why the government is encouraging solar PV panels on rooftops instead of having it mounted on the ground, as the land can be used for other purposes.

“Roofs cannot be used for anything else except to collect dust. So it can be utilised to produce electricity. We foresee the early adopters of NEM (Net Energy Metering) system will be industrial and commercial corporations with large rooftop spaces before it trickles down to domestic use,” she said.

Yeo also encouraged households to install solar PV systems at their properties where they can turn into “pro-sumers” (producer-consumers) of electricity.

“We expect go-green advocates and environmentalists to use the system once the market matures.

“They have a choice of whether they want to buy electricity from Tenaga Nasional Berhad or produce it themselves. Instead of becoming a consumer, you can be a prosumer,” she said at the launch of Malaysia’s largest rooftop solar PV project under the NEM Scheme: 2.5 MW PV system by Goodyear today.

According to Yeo, the government’s efforts to encourage the use of solar photovoltaics (PV) was paying off, as Malaysia has emerged as the third largest manufacturer in the world, providing employment opportunities in the engineering, technical sectors as well as service providers in the industry.

“We are Asean region’s biggest solar photovoltaics (PV) employer, as announced by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) recently.

“More than 54,300 local Malaysians have been hired to work in the industry since 2011 till now. That is good news.

“I am confident that with the NEM Scheme introduced by the government which encourages more usage of solar PV, there will be more jobs created in the future,” she said.

Yeo added apart from boosting the economy, the use of solar PV also helps consumers to save electricity and sustain the environment.

Some of the huge solar PV manufacturing players in the country have plants in Cyberjaya, Kulim, as well as Sarawak.