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This article presents solar energy or specifically the solar photovoltaic (PV) development outlook in Malaysia. The paper first introduces the massive potential of solar energy in the country, the key players in the solar energy development and the early solar energy policies, and programmes in the country. The most important to the PV development is the Malaysia Building Integrated Photovoltaic initiative, which is presented in this paper followed by an explanation on the Feed-in Tariff recently introduced in the country to encourage new solar PV projects. The outlook for solar PV in Malaysia is optimistic and as the uptake of solar PV increases, the unit cost is coming down rapidly. Solar PV is expected to be the most competitive Renewable Energy (RE) source, with the potential to achieve grid parity for electrical power in the country in the near future, and surpassing all other REs combined by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper illustrates on how Malaysia's development landscapes has been powered by cheap oil and gas making it dependent and addicted on using large amounts of fossil fuels. As a country that is primarily depended on fossil fuels for generating power supply, Malaysia needs to cogitate of long-term energy security due to fossil fuel depletion and peak oil issues. Loss of these resources could leadto thereduction of power generation capacitywhich will threaten the stability of the electricity supply in Malaysia. This could potentially influence in an increase in electricity costs which lead to a phase of power scarcity and load shedding for the country. With the risk of interrupted power supplies, rural households, especially those of low-income groups are particularly vulnerable to the post-effects of a power outage and an inequitable distribution to the people. Distributed generation of electricity by solar PVs diminishes the vulnerability of these households and can also offer an income to them by feeding the power supply to the national grid through Feed-in Tariff scheme. At the moment, the deployment of solar PV installations is still in the introductory stage in Malaysia, where roof-mounted PV panels are only available to commercial and urban residential buildings. This is due to the lack of a suitable renewable energy policy for rural households and the high cost of the solar PV technology. This paper will put forward an analysis for incorporating solar photovoltaic on roofs of rural houses by identifying the energy consumption of these households and the extent to which PVs can alleviate electricity insecurity. The results present significant potential for distributed PV power generation in rural areas in Malaysia which shown a considerable amount of electricity needed to be harvested from roofmounted solar PV for rural people in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The government of Malaysia has recently decided to explore the feasibility of wind energy to generate electricity in the country. Their ambition is to achieve a measureable target in the percentage contribution of electricity generated by renewable energy technology in the national electricity generation mix. As part of this initiative, a study of wind energy policy has been conducted by identifying the optimal feed-in tariff (FiT) rates to support the development of wind energy in the country. The aim of this paper is to calculate the optimal level of tariff that is suitable with local wind conditions. A closed-form equation for optimal feed-in tariff rate of wind energy with consideration of the availability of capital allowance has been developed. The focus is on small- and utility-scale wind turbine installations. As a result, by considering the availability of capital allowance, the optimal FiT rates for small-scale wind turbines in Malaysia are between 0.9245-1.1313 RM/kWh, while utility-scale rates are between 0.7396 and 0.9050 RM/kWh. The level of FiT is changed with the changing value of economic parameters. Kudat, in northern Borneo, has been identified as a prime site for wind energy development in the country; however, more work needs to be conducted, including the development of a regional wind map and measurement of wind data at more new potential sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia is still dependent on non-renewable sources like coal and diesel to generate electricity. However, Malaysia has taken steps to explore the renewable energy (RE) as an alternative source for generating electricity. This paper presents the simulation of micrositing analysis by using WindPRO software and feed-in tariff (FiT) rates. Four sites were indentified: Kuala Terengganu, Mersing, Kudat, and Langkawi Island. Wind data of year 2009 were obtained from Malaysian Meteorological Department (MMD) stations. The 22 kW wind turbine was selected for energy calculation. Forty-six wind farms in the range 22 kW to 1,012 kW were simulated, taking into consideration sites' roughnesses and wind resources. The optimal feed-in tariffs (FiT) rates were identified as that gives the maximum profit to the investors. Both Mersing and Kudat showed the lowest value of FiT rates: RM0.85/kWh to RM0.86/kWh, and RM0.85/kWh to RM0.87/kWh, respectively. Whereas, the sites Kuala Terengganu and Langkawi Island had FiT rates: RM1.10/kWh to RM1.28/kWh, and RM1.15/kWh to RM1.42/kWh, respectively. Finally, the overall results in this study show Malaysia has potential for developing small to medium scale wind farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar photovoltaic has shown a significant rise in terms of worldwide installation. One of the main reason is due to the introduction of the FiT (feed-in tariff) policy by the governments. This paper aims to evaluate FiT policy in promoting solar PV (photovoltaic) investments in Malaysia by using a dynamic systems approach. The assessment model captures the complexities arising from the interaction of FiT rate dynamics, construction delays, and investors’ and technology learning dynamics in an integrated framework. The model provides total operational PV capacity, amount of finances needed to support the policy, and the cost of environmental savings, as output. Computer simulations, based on twelve scenarios, were used as a means to study the model behaviour. For the most favourable scenario, a total capacity of about 16 GW PV by 2050 can be expected, while for the least favourable scenario, expectations would be only about 10 GW. On the expenditure side, the most favourable scenario can cost up to MYR (Malaysia Ringgit) 15 billion, whereas, for the least favourable ones, the cost can be as low as MYR2 billion. The maximum cost of CO 2 abatement can vary from MYR 0.05 per kg-CO 2 to the lowest value of MYR 0.02 per kg-CO 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The biomass wastes from the palm oil industry offer great potential for large-scale power generation in Malaysia. It has been estimated that 85.5% of available biomass in the country comes from oil palm agriculture. The introduction of the FiT (Feed-in Tariff) regime in 2011, which superseded the underperforming SREP (Small Renewable Energy Power) scheme, is expected to catalyse and accelerate the development of the renewable energy industry, including biomass technology. Despite a major overhaul of the market structure under the new scheme, the sustainability of the grid-connected oil palm biomass renewable energy industry downstream components remains questionable. Hence, this paper aims to investigate and analyse the market response to six sustainability-related topics. The research methods include electronic and conventional postal modes to disseminate questionnaires to all of the palm oil producers. The returned questionnaires were then analysed with a statistical tool and inferences were drawn to identify the gaps in the existing policy system. The survey identified several key factors for the government's consideration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The renewable energy (RE) industry in Malaysia began in 2001 in the context of the growing concern about future depletion of conventional fuels and the global environmental concerns about greenhouse gas emissions. The Small Renewable Energy Programme (SREP) is a tool that was first designed to drive the development of the industry based on the abundance of oil palm biomass reserves and other identified renewable energy resources. Due to the slow uptake of this scheme, a new system, the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) was introduced in 2011 to stimulate the industry. By considering the deficiencies of the previous scheme, this paper examines the sustainability of the FiT policy framework in steering the future expansion of small-scale biomass renewable energy businesses in Malaysia. Resulting from the evaluation of the current policy settings and a market based appraisal, this work outlines strategies for enhancing the scheme and suggests future studies aimed at improving the flaws in the present system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines solar photovoltaic (PV) in Malaysia. First, it analyzes the current energy demand in Malaysia and discusses some of the national policies and the installations of solar PV in urban and rural areas in the country. Next, the general Feed-In Tariff (FiT) scheme is explained, indicating its potential as one of the investment options for Malaysians. Finally, the loan financing option for solar PV is presented, providing examples that have been implemented in other countries, as well as explaining the Green Technology Financing Scheme (GTFS) for companies and the proposed soft loan scheme for individual households in Malaysia. It also analyses the impact of the proposed interest rate to household consumers in Malaysia, in terms of total profit, net present value and internal rate of return. It is found that the FiT scheme could potentially help in increasing renewable energy penetration, particularly for solar PV. To provide upfront capital for solar PV installation, it is shown that the GTFS is a good financial source for companies while for individual home owners, a soft loan facility from banking institutions is a feasible source if the interest rate is 5% or less. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper aims to present the feed-in tariff (FiT) outlook in Malaysia, which is in the process of being enacted through a Renewable Energy (RE) Policy by the Government of Malaysia (GoM). A brief in policies leading towards the RE policy and the potential of each RE sources under FiT mechanism have been discussed. The successful utilisation of RE source in electricity generation and the FiT implementation globally are positive indicators to implement FiT in Malaysia. Potentials of FiT on biomass, biogas and solid waste energy are currently very promising in Malaysia, but it is solar energy which is predicted to be the main RE of the future, surpassing all other REs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]