KUCHING: The Sarawak government is planning to submit a proposal to the federal government to allow the production of solar panels for domestic use.
Utility and Telecommunications Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi said that as of now the solar panels produced by companies in Samajaya are only for export.
“This is based on the current policy under the federal government. That is why, we hope that there will be a policy change on this matter so that at least the solar panels can also be for the Sarawak market.
“In line with this, we also hope that the price of solar panels will be lowered so that the local users here will be able to buy them at affordable prices,” Julaihi told a press conference after launching the Net Energy Metering (NEM) Scheme at Jalan Sultan Tengah here today.
Meanwhile, on the NEM, he said there were eight applications so far to participate in the scheme.
Two of the applications have been approved, three applications are being processed and another three applications are still pending.
“Though we do not have a specific target for the scheme, we encourage more people to participate in it, be it from individuals, companies, factories, or even industry players.
“This is because this scheme is in line with our green agenda. If we can develop resources from solar, we will have an alternative energy that we can use to increase our electricity supply capacity in the future,” he said.
The minister said that the price of a solar photovoltaic system is between RM5,000 and RM7,000 per kilowatt, depending on the user’s proposed capacity.
“If it is based on 3 kwh, the average cost is RM28,000 more or less,” he added.
