INGENIEUR
Malaysian Rural School
Electrification Programme
using Solar PV-Diesel
Hybrid System
By Dr Abdul Muhaimin Mahmud
Electrical Engineering Branch, Public Works Department
Alternative energy technology has been used
widely in Rural Electrification Programmes
(REPs) all over the world for many years.
Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind
and biomass, are the preferred choices given
the abundant resources available on site and
the sophistication of the technologies involved.
Combinations of two or more of the resources,
together with an energy storage system and
occasionally a conventional energy generator,
create a hybrid system, which is reliable and
durable. In Malaysia, solar photovoltaic (PV)
based systems, implemented on a large scale,
can provide round-the-clock electricity services
for areas that are inaccessible by the electricity
grid network. One of Malaysia’s REP initiatives
is a solar PV-diesel hybrid system for 160
schools in rural Sabah. This article provides
an overview of the programme, challenges in
implementing the initiatives and how it benefits
the educational environment in rural areas.
R
enewable energy technology has long
been used as an alternative stand-alone
electricity power supply for rural and remote
areas that are not connected to an electricity grid
network. More than 1.4 billion people still live
in areas without electricity, mostly in South Asia
and Sub-Saharan Africa [1]. Meanwhile, almost
1.2 billion will still be without electricity by 2030
[2]. It is unlikely that an area without electricity
can be developed economically, as it is an
important factor in modernisation. In rural areas,
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geographical conditions, the smallness of village
sizes and the remoteness of the locations mean
that the extension of an electricity grid network
is considered to be expensive, uneconomical and
not attractive as an investment, either by the
Government or the private sector.
Rural Electrification Programmes (REP)
encompass the process, plans, programmes
and initiatives overseen by the Government, the
private sector, and institutions or organisations in
the name of fighting poverty, enhancing economic
growth and balancing out the development
between urban and rural areas. People and
communities can embrace modern civilisation if
electricity is made available because it can benefit
their lifestyle by improving health, education, the
economy and technology [3]. Renewable energy
sources, such as solar, wind and biomass, are the
preferred choices given the abundant resources
available on site and the sophistication of the
technologies involved. Combinations of two or
more of the resources, together with an energy
storage system and occasionally a conventional
energy generator, create a hybrid system, which
is reliable and durable. Among all the renewable
energy technologies that are available, the solar
PV system is a popular option in off-grid rural
areas [4].
In Malaysia, solar photovoltaic (PV) based
systems, implemented on a large scale, can
provide round-the-clock electricity services for
areas that are inaccessible by the electricity grid
network. One of Malaysia’s REP initiatives was a