THE STAR, TUESDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2016

IGEM 2016
THE 7th International Greentech
& Eco Products Exhibition &
Conference Malaysia (IGEM
2016), themed Green Business for
Sustainability, is happening from
Oct 5 to 8 at the Kuala Lumpur
Convention Centre and will once
again position Malaysia as
Aseans green marketplace for
trade visitors and members of
the public.
Organised by the Ministry of
Energy, Green Technology and
Water (KeTTHA) and
co-organised by Malaysian Green
Technology Corporation
(GreenTech Malaysia), IGEM
2016 offers a dynamic and
diverse exhibition floor with 400
booths showcasing cutting-edge
innovations from leading
corporations from more than
30 countries.
Solar industry enthusiasts will
be able to learn more about the
potential of Aseans solar market
through the dedicated Solar
Energy Zone, featuring
innovators such as Huawei,
Hanwha Q Cells, First Solar, JA
Solar and Trina Solar.
On top of this, the Solar PV
Conference, jointly organised by
the Malaysian Photovoltaic
Industry Association (MPIA) and
the Asian Photovoltaic Industry
Association (APVIA), will feature
30 speakers from around the
world sharing their insights on
key topics such as institutional
policy and frameworks as well as
trends and performance of PV
(photovoltaic) systems.
Meanwhile, trade visitors and
industry experts will be treated
to a host of side events that
will provide unique networking
and knowledge-sharing
opportunities. Seminars being
held during IGEM 2016 include
the KeTTHA Embassy Sweden
Renewable Energy (RE) Seminar
and seminars focused on Small
Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and
energy performance
certification.
There is also plenty of
excitement in store for the

Green exhibition of the year

public, who can visit IGEM 2016

for free on the final day.
In addition to the exhibition,
they will get to hear from IGEMs
green ambassadors Maya Karin,
Syed Azmi, Fairuz Fauzy and
DJ J. J. on their respective green
journeys.
For automotive fans, they can
head to the Green Car Pavilion
that will showcase the latest in
electric vehicle (EV) technology,
including the Mercedes E350e,
BMW 330e iPerformance, Volvo
XC90, Nissan LEAF, Renault
Twizy as well as the worldrenowned EV, the Tesla Model S.

Trade visitors and industry experts will be treated to a host of side

events that will provide unique networking and knowledge-sharing
opportunities.
They can also try EVs first-hand
with test drives/taxi rides by
COMOS and examine Malaysias
first locally developed electric bus
by Sync R&D.
At the MyHIJAU Pavilion,
visitors can get a taste of the
green lifestyle and its various
benefits with unique
showrooms designed and
furnished from ceiling to floor
with certified green products.

For students, there will be

several inspiring activities,
including the 48-Hour GreenTech
Youth Innovation Challenge,
organised by the Asia School of
Business in collaboration with
MIT Sloan Management, which
will pit the nations top-10 teams
of students against each other
in a challenge to design and
deliver solutions to current
environmental issues. This will

be complemented by the Green

Minds Challenge organised by
Mensa Malaysia and the
YaHIJAU student visits.
With such a wide array of
exhibits, activities and
programmes, there is sure to
be something for everyone
at IGEM 2016.

n For more information about

IGEM 2016, visit www.igem.my.

Eco-efficiency with solar energy

THE popularity of solar PV
(photovoltaic) is set to increase
over the next 10 years as prices
become more competitive with
grid electricity across the world.
The Sustainable Energy
Development Authority Malaysia
(SEDA Malaysia) is expected to
release a policy that allows net
energy metering (NEM) for solar
power generating systems.
With said provisions in the
guidelines, a person can install
solar PV units to generate power at
home, offices and even factories to
reduce monthly electricity costs.
In addition, business owners
may enjoydouble taxdeduction
on capital expenditures that will
increase their return.

Net metering
Net metering is a billing
mechanism that credits
solar energy system owners
for the electricity they add to
the grid.

For example, if a residential

customer has a PV system on their
homes rooftop, it may generate
more electricity than the usage of
the home during daytime.
If the home is net-metered, the
electricity metre will run
backwards to provide a credit
against the electricity consumed at
night or other periods. Customers
are only billed for their net energy
usage.

Solarvest
Solarvest is a trademark and
brainchild of Atlantic Blue Sdn
Bhd, that has been focusing on
solar PV projects for residential
and industrial clients, including
but not limited to feed-in tariff,
net energy metering,
self-consumption, off-grid projects,
and operation and maintenance
(O&M) services.
The company, which presently
has a local market share of 10%
since its operation in 2011, has

installed more than 30MW solar PV

system for residential, commercial
and industrial buildings.
On why Solarvest is able to excel
in such a short time, managing
director Lim Chin Siu says, One
of our advantages is our after-sale
service package with our strong
bond with the supplier. In addition,
we have a capable and competent
engineering team that responds
swiftly to any hiccups, which may
occur after installation. This
prompts our customers to refer
their friends and family to us.

Atlantic Blue Sdn Bhd

Atlantic Blue Sdn Bhd is one of
the leading turnkeys EPC (Energy
Performance Certificates) players
in Malaysias PV solar industry.
The company specialises in
large-scale solar farms and has
been actively involved in the solar
PV market since 2011.
Atlantic Blue aims to bring
world-class renewable energy to

Solar photovoltaic units may be installed to generate electricity at home, in

offices and factories to reduce monthly electricity costs in addition to
double tax deduction for business owners.
Malaysia, driven by a great mission
of envisioning a world generated
by renewable energy.
Atlantic Blue Sdn Bhd and
Solarvest Energy Sdn Bhd are
now providing free consultations

for those who are interested in

installing solar PV units.

n For more information, visit

www.solarvest.my or
call 04-383 8175.

2 IGEM 2016

THE STAR, TUESDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2016

Separation for
sustainability
ACCORDING to the Waste Minimization
through Separation at Source and Waste
Recovery paper presented at the Waste
Management Association of Malaysia
Conference 2014, the average Malaysian
produced 1.1kg of waste per day in 2012
compared to 0.8kg of waste per day in 2005.
Since the Solid Waste & Public Cleansing
Management Act 2007 (Act 672) has taken
effect in June this year, waste separation at
source is mandatory for every household in
Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Pahang, Johor,
Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Kedah and Perlis.
Act 672 aims to reduce waste sent to
dumpsites by up to 40% before 2020. Under
the Act, a compound of up to RM1,000 can be
imposed on residents who fail to separate
their waste at source.
In general, solid waste is separated into
two categories: residual waste and recyclable
waste. Residual waste mostly consists of
kitchen waste, food waste, contaminated
materials and disposable diapers.
Recyclable waste is made up of
commercial waste, most of which can also be
reused or repurposed.
Some of these waste include plastic and
polystyrene, which take a long time to
decompose and are detrimental to the
environment if left in landfills.
Other types of recyclable waste include
paper, plastic, bulky waste, garden waste
and those categorised as others such as
glass, ceramics, aluminium, iron and metal
products, electronic and electrical
appliances, fabric, rubber, leather and
dangerous substances.
Waste separation at source can help

authorities manage different types of waste

effectively and efficiently so that residual
waste can be transported to landfills and
recyclable waste can be directed to recycling
plants.
Here are some tips on how you can
practise waste separation at home:
l Have designated bins or containers at
home to sort residual and recyclable waste
into separate channels before disposal.
l Clean out wet or food sediments from
recyclable waste.
l Composting is a great way to convert
residual waste into useful by-products.
Compost is a great addition to your garden
as soil and fertiliser.
l Separate and label hazardous waste
such as fluorescent light bulbs, batteries,
solvents, paints, pesticides and detergents as
they can be hazardous to the environment
and our health.
l Take note of your local waste collection
schedule. Residual waste is collected twice a
week while recyclable waste is collected
once a week.
Put your residual waste in the green bin
provided and the recyclable waste in waste
bags by the side of the bin.
l Separate different types of recyclable
waste and put them in designated plastic
bags for collection:
l Blue plastic bags Paper products
l White plastic bags Plastic and
polystyrene products
l Green plastic bags Glass, ceramics,
metals, electronics and electric
appliances, rubber, leather and
garments and hazardous waste.

IGEM 2016 3

THE STAR, TUESDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2016

THE Malaysian Timber

Certification Council (MTCC)
was set up in October 1998 as
an independent organisation
to develop and operate the
voluntary Malaysian Timber
Certification Scheme (MTCS).
The MTCS comprises two
components forest management
and chain of custody certification.
The forest management
certification provides independent
assessment of forest management
practices to ensure the sustainable
management of Malaysias forests.
The chain of custody
certification, which tracks product
flow, ensures that timber products
manufactured or exported are
sourced from certified forests.
Besides fulfilling the growing
demand for certified timber
products by environmentally
and socially sensitive markets,
the rationale for implementing
the MTCS was rooted in the
national initiative to ensure its
rich forest resources are
sustainably managed to protect
the interest and well-being of its
people and the nation in the long
term.
The MTCS achieved a significant
milestone in 2009 when it was
accorded international recognition
by becoming the first tropical
timber certification scheme in the
Asia Pacific region to be endorsed
by the Programme for the
Endorsement of Forest
Certification (PEFC) the largest
forest certification system in the
world.
The forest management
certification and chain of custody
certification under the MTCS
are issued by independent
PEFC-notified certification bodies
(CBs) that have obtained
accreditation from Standards

Certification of green trade

The Malaysian Timber Certification Schemes forest management and chain of custody certification is aimed at
ensuring sustainable forest management and manufacturing of timber products.
Malaysia, the national
accreditation body.
The awarding of these
certificates is based on the results
of the audits carried out on the
applicants by the notified CBs.
The Certificate for Forest
Management is awarded to forest
management units (FMUs) and

forest plantation management

units (FPMUs) that have complied
with the requirements of the forest
management standard.
On the other hand, the
Certificate for Chain of Custody
is awarded to timber product
manufacturers or exporters
that have complied with the

requirements of the PEFC

international standard for chain
of custody.
Presently, eight FMUs and
three FPMUs, accounting for 4.02
million hectares of forest areas
in Malaysia, have become
PEFC-certified under the MTCS.
Timber originating from these

FMUs and FPMUs are the source

of PEFC-certified material for
more than 350 timber companies
in Malaysia that have obtained
the MTCS chain of custody
certification.
The range of PEFC-certified
timber products exported
includes sawn timber, plywood,
mouldings, veneer, laminated
finger-jointed timber, fingerjointed dressed timber (S4S),
furniture components, door and
window components, picture
frames, parquet flooring and
paper and packaging.
As a PEFC-endorsed scheme,
the MTCS has been accepted
under the national timber
procurement policies of
Denmark, the United Kingdom,
Germany, Finland, Belgium, the
Netherlands, Switzerland, France,
New Zealand and Japan.
The scheme is also recognised
by green building systems in
Australia, Italy, Singapore, the
United Kingdom, the United
States, Canada and the United
Arab Emirates as well as by
the Green Building Index (GBI)
in Malaysia.
To learn more about timber
certification under the MTCS,
you can visit the International
Greentech & Eco Products
Exhibition & Conference
Malaysia from Oct 5 to 8 at
Kuala Lumpur Convention
Centre.

n For more information, visit

www.mtcc.com.my or e-mail
info@mtcc.com.my.

4 IGEM 2016
MALAYSIAS National Energy
Balance 2013 reported that the
total final energy consumption
for Malaysia in 2013 was
51,584ktoe.
According to sectors, 43.3% of
this final energy consumption
was used by the transport sector,
26.2% by industry, 14.4% by
commercial/residential, 14.1%
for non-energy use and 2% by
the agricultural sector.
In the industrial sector, the
heating requirement accounts
for a large portion (67%) of the
total fossil fuel energy used, with
the balance used for electricity.
Therefore, a significant
amount of energy from fossil
fuel can be reduced if some
portions of the heating process
in the industrial sector are
supplied by renewable energy.
Being a country that is close to
the equator, Malaysia has
abundant sunshine and thus solar
irradiance. It is reported that the
annual average daily solar
irradiations for Malaysia range
from 3.73kWh/m2 to 5.11kWh/m2.
In principle, given that 30% of
the industrial process heating
demand requires temperatures
below 100oC, which can be met
by commercially available solar
thermal collectors, the potential
of solar thermal applications
in the industrial sector is
enormous.
Solar heat for industrial
processes is still in its infancy of
development but is considered to
have a huge potential for solar
thermal applications.
It was reported by International
Energy Agency (IEA) that in 2006,
there were 90 operating solar
thermal systems for process
heating worldwide with a total
capacity of about 25MWth

THE STAR, TUESDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2016

Solar thermal applications

A demonstrative model of environmental energy and solar thermal application by Sirim to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from industrial heat processes.
(35,000m2), and this figure
accounts for only 0.02% of the total
capacity of solar thermal
installations worldwide.
In 2014, the figure increased to
120 operating solar thermal
systems for process heating
worldwide, which is equivalent to
a total capacity of about 88MWth
(125,000m2).
Majority of the solar thermal
application today (94%) is for
domestic hot water systems.
Although the domestic sector

offers great potential demand

for solar thermal application,
the industrial sector should not
be left out.
This is due to two important
factors. First, the industrial
sector covers about 26% of the
final energy consumption in
Europe in 2012. Second, the major
share of heating energy needed in
the industrial sector is for low
(20oC to 100oC) and medium
temperatures (~250oC), which
could be supplied by available

solar thermal technologies.

A survey conducted by IEA in
2008 has identified several
potential industrial sectors and
industrial processes where solar
thermal could be optimally
used.
These sectors include food
(along with wine and beverage),
textile, transport equipment, metal
and plastic treatment and
chemical manufacturing.
The most suitable industrial
processes include cleaning, drying,

evaporation and distillation,

blanching, pasteurisation,
sterilisation, cooking, melting,
painting and surface treatment.
A similar trend of final energy
consumption by the industrial
sector in Europe has been seen
in Malaysia 26.2% of the total
final energy demand in 2013 was
used by the industry. This shows
that Malaysias industrial sector
also has great potential for solar
thermal applications.
A simple calculation can be
used to generalise the potential
impact of solar process heating
in Malaysia on fuel saving and
CO2 emission.
Assuming 5% of the industrial
heat for temperatures below
100oC is supplied using solar
thermal, 1,577GWh of energy
from fuel could be saved, which
translates to 394,358 tonnes of
CO2 emission reduction from fuel
oil. This is equivalent to
1.8MWth (405,718m2) installed
capacity.
Low- and mediumtemperature solar process
heating are suitable for
industrial sectors in Malaysia
as most of its industrial energy
demand is from chemical and
food industries that involve low
and medium temperatures.
By Mohd Fauzi Ismail, general
manager at Renewable Energy
Research Centre, Sirim
Industrial Research

n For more information,

e-mail mfauzi@sirim.my or visit

www.sirim.com.my.