INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
Malaysia tripartite electricity trading among the three ASEAN countries ; the agreement was signed at the ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting ( AMEM ) in Manila last year .
Energy Storage System ( ESS )
Within the energy balancing market , certain technologies will come in handy , e . g . energy storage systems ( ESS ). There are commercialised ESS that are able to handle various energy deficits that span intraday , intermediate and long haul gaps . Meanwhile , RE technologies continue to advance in terms of increasing efficiency and reducing cost . Technologies for reducing energy consumption are perhaps the lowest hanging fruits towards a more sustainable energy market in the country .
ESS is one of the important elements required for a bigger share of solar PV in our system . Energy storage will provide the crucial energy balancing system needed to overcome the variability of solar energy . Battery storage systems are now undergoing the same trajectory in terms of price reduction and efficiency improvement that was once experienced by the solar modules . Coupled with other energy balancing systems , the argument about intermittency of variable RE can be put to rest .
Future Direction
Energy transition is made possible today because prices of RE technologies ( especially solar and wind ) have dropped significantly over the past decade . This shouldn ’ t come as a surprise . Taking the cue from hydropower , any renewable energy with zero marginal cost has the potential of achieving low levelised cost of energy ( LCoE ) with increasing economies of scale . This will usually require Government intervention via energy policies .
100 % RE aspirations are currently not practical for Malaysia . Electricity tariffs are still quite low in the country , making the cost for RE production comparatively more expensive . We also do not have a huge resource of non-variable RE plants such as geothermal and large hydro or biomass plants . Variable RE such as solar , requires a balancing market to match the supply and demand of electricity . This will require capital investment in technological solutions such as utility-scale battery storage systems , interconnection facilities with neighbouring electricity grids , hydro pumpedstorage systems and smart grid systems .
In order for renewable energy to truly scale up in Malaysia , there are several issues to address such as rationalising subsidy on the electricity tariff , liberalising electricity market and industry , the need for a paradigm shift from base load electricity system to the creation of an energy balancing market as variable renewable energy contribution increases and establishing a flexible smart grid .
One of the main enablers for larger RE share is the smart grid . Malaysia is already preparing for this . The infratructure is slowly being put in place by utility companies . But we have yet to see the full impact and capability of the smart grid . We have not reached its real application potential . With the advent of smart grid technologies , the power system will have more “ intelligence ” to accept and manage a larger share of RE in the system . The system will be more dynamic . It would be able to handle both technical and commercial complexities more readily ; this only augurs well for RE .
With the increase of e-mobility ( especially e-vehicles ) and improvement in lithium-ion battery technologies , the energy landscape is shifting at an unprecedented pace . Several countries ( e . g . UK , France , Norway , China , Netherlands ) have pledged to phase out the internal combustion engine ( ICE ) vehicles between 2030 – 2040 . With this persistent global trend , energy analysts have concluded that the future of energy will be electricity . In view of climate urgency , this electricity should be decarbonised .
Digitising the energy sector is important in the energy transition process for any country . Digitising the energy sector also typically refers to creating a smart grid , embedding artificial intelligence in home and building appliances ( energy management systems ), and managing electricity supply and demand . In recent years , digital technologies have expanded to include new frontiers such as the Internet of Things ( IoT ), robotics , artificial intelligence ( AI ), 3D printing ,
10 VOL 75 JULY-SEPTEMBER 2018