Ali Askar - Implementation of BIPV in Msia-p

7/29/2019 Ali Askar - Implementation of BIPV in Msia-p

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Proceedings of ICEE 2009 3rd International Conference on Energy and Environment,7-8 December 2009, Malacca, Malaysia

978-1-4244-5145-6/09/$26.00 2009 IEEE 412

Implementation of Photovoltaics in Malaysia

Ir. Ali Askar Sher Mohamad, Dr. Jagadeesh PasupuletiDept of Electrical Power

College of Engineering, UnitenKajang, Selangor, Malaysia

[email protected]

Prof Ir. Dr. Abd Halim ShamsuddinHead, Center of Renewable Energy

College of Engineering, UnitenKajang, Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract This paper aims to explore the viability of

photovoltaic (PV) systems in Malaysia. The Malaysian

Energy Center (PTM)s Suria1000 project highlights the

problems associated with rooftop PV systems. TNBs off-

grid PV projects also provide valuable lessons on

standalone PV systems. PTMs Building Integrated

Photovoltaic (BIPV) project shows grid-connected rooftopPV systems are viable. The annual energy output of these

installations has been found to be in the top 50 % of

similar installations Worldwide. The major obstacles to

these systems are the high capital cost of the system and

the absence of a feed-in tariff. TNBs experience with off-

grid PV projects point to their viability as an attractive

alternative to costly extension of the grid for small isolated

loads. The major problem is the high maintenance cost of

these installations. Simulation studies indicate that

standalone PV systems with storage capacity and backup

generator are cheaper than grid extension for small loads

beyond a certain distance from the grid. Rooftop PV

generation in the commercial areas of the city can also bean attractive alternative to upgrading the existing grid

capacity. The study concludes that various PV system

options need to be introduced into the country on an

urgent basis to bring down capital and maintenance costs

as well as provide learning opportunities to upgrade the

technical competencies of its human resource.

Keywords- photovoltaics, rooftop, grid, cost, obstacles

I. INTRODUCTIONPhotovoltaic technology was introduced in Malaysia in

the 1990s with two main types of projects. Six showcase and

demonstration projects were implemented by the MalaysianEnergy Center (PTM) in selected cities. These projectsconsisted of grid-connected polycrystalline PV arrays on roof-tops with a small capacity, usually less than 3kW. Meteringwas installed for monitoring and recording purposes only, notfor sales to the utility. Some of the sites were used for

application research like optimum angle of tilt by localresearchers. These projects were without economic merit butwere designed to introduce photovoltaic technology to thecountry. In 2006, PTM expanded its PV project scopeexponentially by launching its Suria1000 project which isdescribed below. Since 2002, the national power company,TNB, has begun implementing another group of experimentalPV projects designed to provide electricity supply to remoteislands and isolated communities where it is not practical toextend the grid. These projects mostly involve hybridtechnology, incorporating photovoltaics with wind turbine ordiesel generator sets. These are economically justifiable due tothe huge cost of extending the grid for a small load. It is time

to explore the possibilities of increasing PV generation for atropical country like Malaysia with its high insolation levels.

II. PTMS SURIA1000PROJECTIn 2006, PTM launched its BIPV Solar1000 project with a

target to install 1000 roof-top, grid-connected PV systemswith a total capacity of 790 kWp [1]. It started off with aninitial offer of 75 % subsidy of installation costs by thegovernment. The subsidy is now down to 42 % with 340 kWpof capacity still not taken up. With a current price of aboutRM 25,000 per kWp for PV module and accessories plusinstallation, a customer needs to fork out RM 72,500 for a 5kWp roof-top installation with the balance subsidized by the

government. The utilitys net billing policy results in a

minimum pay-back period of 28 years for a customer with anaverage monthly consumption of 1500 kWh. The major hurdleto popularization of roof-top PV is thus the capital cost and theabsence of a feed-in tariff which will ensure a reasonable pay-

back period. Other lessons learned from the project are theneed for an online monitoring system for the installation aswell as protection for utility workers against accidental PVexport to the grid during a grid failure. Competencies of localvendors in installing the PV systems have begun to improve

from the early days where there were many complaints ofleaking roofs after installation.

III. TNBS PV PROJECTS FOR ISOLATED COMMUNITIESThe utility has implemented a few projects with limited

capacity to meet the power needs of isolated villages andislands. Table 1 below shows the technical details of theinstallations while Table 2 compares the operating andmaintenance costs with the revenue collected. This data was


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obtained from the Customer Service and Marketing Dept of TNB Distribution.

TABLE 1: PV System projects by TNB

Station Generating System Inverter Battery Date

commissioned

Kg Denai1. Generator 1 x 10 kW2. PV 10 kWp 1 x 10kVA 120x 816Ah 2002

Kg TelukBerhala, P.Aur

1. Generator 1 x 36 kW2. PV 10 kWp 1 x 45kVA 120x1296Ah 9/12/2004

Teluk Meriam,P.Aur

1. Generator 1 x 36 kW2. PV 10 kWp 1 x 45kVA 120x1296Ah 11/12/2004

Pulau Perhentian1. Wind turbine 2 x 100 kW2. Generator 2 x 200 kW & 1x 120 kW3. PV 100 kWp

1 x 90kVA1 x 125kVA

120x2000Ah Aug-07

Tanah Abg1. Generator 1 x 45 kW2. PV 20 kWp

1 x 45kVA 120x1700Ah 24/08/07

TABLE 2: Operating expenditure and sales for TNB PV projects

Station

Average

monthly

operating

cost (RM)

Average

monthly

maintenance

cost (RM)

Average

monthly

O & M cost

(RM)

No of

consumers

Average

monthly

sales (RM)

Percentage

of sales over

O & M costs

Kg Denai 1,000.0012,080.00

13,080 27 509.003.9 %

Kg TelukBerhala, P.Aur

5,300.0015,000.00

20,300 41 1,600.00 7.9 %

Teluk Meriam,P.Aur

1,500.0015,000.00

16,500 17 670.00 4.1 %

Pulau Perhentian 42,436.0032,262.00

74,698 225 15,940.00 21.3 %

Tanah Abg 3,800.0011,581.00

15,381 82 1,700.0011.1 %

Operating cost here mostly consists of price of diesel for thegen-sets and its transport to the remote areas. The maintenancecosts involve routine inspection and servicing of the followingsystem components

Solar panel, solar hybrid control panel and cabling functionality check and system test

Generator lubrication, fuel, air and cooling systems,electrical/mechanical test, control module

Battery check water level, voltage, current andtemperature

It is obvious that sales revenue cannot cover the operatingcosts of the systems. If maintenance costs are also taken intoaccount, the sales pale into insignificance for most sites exceptthe largest, Pulau Perhentian, where the sales can cover about21 % of the O & M costs. There is no possibility, of course, ofever recovering the capital cost of the installations.

IV. POTENTIAL FOR PV IN MALAYSIASOLAR RADIATIONLEVEL

Malaysias tropical climate has good potential for PVsystems. The average daily insolation for most parts of thecountry is between 4.5 and 5.5 kWh/m2 as shown in Table 3

below [2]. The annual variation between maximum andminimum is about 25 %. Therefore the country has a steadysolar radiation which is not seasonal in nature. The only

problem is that the rainy and humid climate means almost halfof the sunlight received is diffused, and not direct. Thereforecollector systems are not suitable but flat plate systems tiltedat an angle equal to the latitude would be effective [3]. Also, itcan be seen from the table that PV systems would be mosteffective in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia andSarawak, where the insolation levels are higher. PTMs BIPV

project has also yielded some interesting data about the annualenergy output, kWh/kWp, of different project sites [4]. Fig 1

below shows the annual energy output for a number of cities.It can be seen that there is a definite correlation between


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insolation levels and annual energy output. Fig 2 gives acomparison between Malaysian sites and other citiesthroughout the World. It is clear that all Malaysian sites are in

the top 50 % with Kota Kinabalu having the highest annualenergy output among all cities surveyed worldwide.

TABLE 3: Monthly Averaged Insolation Incident on Horizontal Surface, kWh/m2/day [2]

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec AnnualAverage

Alor Setar 5.26 5.86 5.81 5.65 5.05 4.82 4.84 4.69 4.65 4.37 4.23 4.42 4.96Georgetown 5.62 6.09 5.93 5.69 5.07 4.97 4.92 4.71 4.67 4.53 4.76 5.00 5.15Kota Baru 5.14 5.95 6.23 6.28 5.54 5.33 5.35 5.30 5.42 4.76 3.98 4.24 5.28

Kuala Lumpur 4.79 5.37 5.42 5.27 5.11 4.98 4.92 4.87 4.88 4.76 4.36 4.17 4.90Johor Baru 4.48 5.22 5.05 4.87 4.57 4.41 4.30 4.33 4.53 4.57 4.34 4.07 4.55

Kota Kinabalu 5.11 5.78 6.43 6.45 5.77 5.33 5.19 5.17 5.31 5.03 4.75 4.65 5.41Kuching 3.96 4.36 4.69 4.99 4.87 4.93 4.84 4.87 4.68 4.59 4.48 4.16 4.62

FIG 1: Annual Energy Output of Rooftop PV Installations Malaysia [4]


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FIG 2: Annual Energy Output of Rooftop PV Installations World [4]

V. OPPORTUNITY FOR PV SYSTEMS IN MALAYSIAThe price of the PV modules and rest of the system at

present does not warrant implementation of PV technology oneconomic considerations alone. However, it is only a matter oftime when the plot of falling PV panel prices will intersect withthe plot of rising electricity prices due to depletion ofconventional fuels. The Energy Policy and System AnalysisProject (EPSAP) study conducted jointly by ASEAN-AusAIDin 2005 found that residential PV systems will become viablein the decade 2015-2020 if PV system prices continue to fall atthe present rate [5]. It predicted an installed capacity of 160MW by the year 2025 for such systems. Malaysia may alsosoon become one of the Annex countries under the KyotoProtocol due to its fast developing status. It will then beobliged to show its commitment to reducing GHG emissions

by a certain percentage. It is therefore critical to initiate someprojects to provide a learning experience and improvecompetencies of the human resource in preparation for thesedevelopments. The following projects are worthy ofconsideration in order to provide a steep learning curve forMalaysian experts [6].

A. Small standalone systemsThese systems, ranging in capacity from 10 W to 10 kW,

are suitable for small loads like compound lighting at locationsremote from the existing grid. Small-scale systems can pay forthemselves within two years if grid extension costs are takeninto account. Although their capacity may be small, they

provide a learning opportunity for engineers involved in theirinstallation and operation.

B. PV systems to support local utility gridsPV injection of 100 kW to 1 MW during peak demand

periods in commercial areas can reduce the stress on the utilitygrid. When demand goes up in urban areas, the utility has toupgrade its distribution network capacity. If a new MainDistribution Substation (33/11 kV) is needed, it can easily costup to RM10 million. Underground cables, costing in excess ofRM 1 million per kilometer and other equipment can push thecost of a 10 MW injection to about RM 25 million. For that

price, a 1 MW PV system can be considered since it will injectpower during the day when the demand is highest in thecommercial areas due to air-conditioning load. Although the

price is much higher, there are many benefits to thisalternative:

Reduced problems of land acquisition and roaddigging in highly urban areas in the city center since

the PV system can be installed on building or car

park roof tops. TNB Distribution reports excessive

delays in its urban projects due to problems in

obtaining road digging and cable laying permits from

the authorities.

Highly reduced operation and maintenance costs Learning opportunity for utility engineers

C. Rooftop PV systems for residential premises andshophouses

Roof-top PV installations in the city center meansubstantial savings for the utility since it can avoid upgradingdistribution networks due to PV power injection at peak


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periods during the day when it is most needed. Suitablecapacities for rooftop systems range from 1 to 10 kW. Utilitiesneed to encourage this type of installation to understand their

performance, reliability, personnel safety, effect on grid andother impacts. However, thus far only PTM has been involvedwith BIPV, with utility involvement limited only to netmetering. With current PV system prices and the rate ofsubsidy offered by PTM, only very committed

conservationists will take the offer to install BIPV whichinvolves a pay-back period that will probably exceed theirlifetime. Apart from a fair feed-in tariff, the governmentthrough the Ministry of Local Government and the City/LocalCouncils can make it obligatory for all new housingdevelopments to incorporate rooftop grid-connected PVsystems for all residential premises costing more than RM500,000. The cost of the PV system can be limited to 10 % ofthe property price so that it does not overburden the buyers.Therefore, a house costing RM 500,000 will come equippedwith a 2 kWp PV system, while a RM 1 million bungalow willhave a 4 kWp system at current PV prices. The cost ofinstalling the system will drop and it will be more aesthetically

pleasing if it is incorporated in the initial design. Even if aconservative estimate of 3000 new houses costing more thanRM 500,000 a year is used, about 9000 kWp of grid-connected rooftop PV will be introduced in the country, farhigher than all the capacity achieved to date through PTMsefforts. All the government has to do is to introduce legislationwhich will affect only a small percentage of house buyers inthe high income bracket.

D. PV systems for remote islands and villagesFor isolated communities, hybrid PV systems or PV

systems in conjunction with an energy storage system and aback-up diesel generator are the answer to their electricityneeds. Traditionally, utilities have shied away from remote

power needs due to the huge costs involved and the meager

returns. However, the utilities and the government have theresponsibility of bringing electricity to these villages and nowPV systems can provide a new low-cost approach to ruralelectrification. Just like in grid-connected systems, theoperating and maintenance costs of PV systems for smallloads in remote areas will definitely be higher than the returnsas we saw in Table 2 above. However, if we consider onlyoperating costs, as in Table 4 below, the sales revenue cancover almost half the costs for most installations. It should beremembered that the operating costs are essentially the priceand transport of diesel for the back-up generator, the PVmodules having a zero operating cost. The maintenance workon the TNB PV installations is actually very basic; the high

costs given in Table 2 are due to the fact that the work iscarried out by a special team from TNB headquarters and thecost includes their consolidated salaries and outstationtravelling claims. As more off-grid PV systems come intooperation, local operations crew can be trained to handle the

basic tasks involved in the maintenance of the PV systems.These will lead to a drastic reduction of maintenance costs.

TABLE 4: Comparison of sales and operating expenses for TNB PV system projects

StationAverage monthly

operating cost (RM)

No of

consumers

Average monthly

sales (RM)

Percentage of sales over

operating costs

Kg Denai 1,000.00 27 509.0051 %

Kg Teluk Berhala,P.Aur

5,300.00 41 1,600.00 30 %

Teluk Meriam,P.Aur

1,500.00 17 670.00 45 %

Pulau Perhentian 42,436.00 225 15,940.00 38 %

Tanah Abg 3,800.00 82 1,700.0045 %

From an economic viewpoint alone, it is preferable toconstruct standalone PV systems with storage and back-upgenerator for small loads away from the existing grid. It is not

possible to extend the low voltage network beyond a fewkilometers even for small loads due to drastic voltage drops.The only option is to extend the 11 kV grid or opt for astandalone system. To test the viability of a standalone systemwith the option of extending the 11 kV grid for a small load of11.5 kW (similar to TNBs Kg Denai project), a simulationwas performed using the NREL software, Homer. Currentcapital and O & M costs were used for the grid extension. Forthe PV system, capital costs were current while the O & M

costs were deduced using a scenario when such systems wouldbe common. The solar resource used was typical forMalaysian weather. Fig 3 below shows that standalonesystems become more economic for grid extensions beyond2.7 km for such small loads. It is therefore in the interest of theutility to aggressively explore this type of standalone solutionsfor small isolated loads like remote villages and islands. Asmentioned above, the maintenance costs will fall dramaticallyas these systems become commonplace and local utilityoperations personnel are trained to carry out the simplemaintenance tasks.


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FIG 3: Grid extension vs standalone cost comparison

E. Scalable power plantDemonstration multi-megawatt power plants need to be

built by the utility for their engineers to carry out plant designand test activities. Actually operating PV power plants will

provide invaluable experience and increase the confidencelevel of utility engineers in construction and operation of these

plants. Engineers will learn about the lead times required forconstruction, modular installations and speed of installation.They will also be exposed to problems associated with powerquality, safety and reliability in the operation of these plants,as well as stability studies for grid-connection. The end resultwill be lower installation, operating and maintenance costs aswell as technical competencies in operating grid-connected,

power plant size PV systems.

VI. CONCLUSIONThere is a good potential for PV systems in Malaysia due to

high levels of solar radiation throughout the year. A good starthas been made by PTM in introducing BIPV systems through

its Suria1000 project with a target of 1000 rooftop PVinstallations. The utility TNB has also experimented with PVor hybrid PV systems in a few power supply projects toisolated communities. Both groups of projects have brought tolight several problems as well as the steps required to alleviatethem. The government has a major role to play in coming upwith policy initiatives like feed-in tariff, subsidies andlegislation governing the mandatory installation of rooftop PVsystems for certain classes of new houses. The utilities need toseriously increase their standalone PV installations whiletraining local operations staff to handle routine maintenance

tasks. They should also seriously consider rooftop PVinjection as an alternative to upgrading the grid for demandincrease in the commercial areas of the cities. Finally, thegovernment and the utilities need to initiate demonstration PV

power plants to afford learning opportunities to utilityengineers.

REFERENCES

[1] Suria1000. http://www.mbipv.net.my/suria.htm[2] Atmospheric Science Data Center: NASA Surface Meteorology and

Solar Energy. http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/sse/grid

[3] H. Kelly, Introduction to Photovoltaic Technology, London: EarthscanPublications, 1993.

[4] H. Jensen, G. Lalchand and G. Mak, Compared assessment of selectedenvironmental indicators of photovoltaic electricity in selected OECDcities and Malaysian cities, MBIPV Project, PTM 2006.

[5] AAECP Energy Policy and Systems Analysis Project, Greenhouse gasmitigation options with emphasis on energy efficiency and renewableenergy strategies, Kuala Lumpur: 2005.

[6] K. Firor, R. Vigotti and J. Ianucci, Utility field experience withphotovoltaic systems, London: Earthscan Publications, 1993.

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Ali Askar - Implementation of BIPV in Msia-p