A Review of Sarawak Off-Grid Renewable Energy Potential and Challenges

Authors

  • Tan Khengwee Department of Electrical Engineering, Politeknik Kuching Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia.
  • P.R.P Hoole Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia.
  • K. Pirapaharan Department of Electrical and Communications Engineering, Papua New Guinea University of Technology, Lae 411, PNG.
  • Norhuzaimin Julai Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia.
  • Al-Khalid Hj Othman Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia.
  • Martin Anyi Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia.
  • Ahmed M A Haidar Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia.
  • S.R.H. Hoole Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, Michigan, USA.

Keywords:

Micro Hydropower, Photovoltaic Power, Renewable Energy, Voltage Stability,

Abstract

Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia, in spite of this, the population of Sarawak is relatively small and 42 percent of that population residing in the rural areas. Consequently, the Sarawak government is facing immense challenges in providing basic need such as electricity to the entire state due to the remoteness and small sizes of these settlements. Although the state produces sufficient amount of power, the cost of connecting these rural and non-rural small settlements to the grid is just impractical. The current energy scenario in Sarawak will be reviewed with a focus on the two reliable renewable energy resources currently being pursued by the Local Electrical Authority (LEA) for rural electrification projects which are the Hydro Power and Solar Energy. The paper will address the technical and localized challenges facing the micro-hydro and solar electric energy generation in Sarawak. The micro hydropower potential in Sarawak is estimated at 10.2MW but is not being fully developed due to difficulty in distinctive design and implementation which requires full participation and support from the local community to make it more economically viable and functionality in long run. In addition, Sarawak also receives a daily solar irradiation of more than 5 KWh/m2 throughout the year and that means huge potential for it to thrive. But design and implementation must be done carefully due to the tropical climate and operating temperature of the components. Ultimately, both renewable energy systems require trained personnel to attend to and involvement of LEA or any appointed agency to provide assistance and coordination are necessary to ensure greater success in rural electrification projects.

Downloads

Published

2017-12-07

How to Cite

Khengwee, T., Hoole, P., Pirapaharan, K., Julai, N., Hj Othman, A.-K., Anyi, M., Haidar, A. M. A., & Hoole, S. (2017). A Review of Sarawak Off-Grid Renewable Energy Potential and Challenges. Journal of Telecommunication, Electronic and Computer Engineering (JTEC), 9(3-10), 29–33. Retrieved from https://jtec.utem.edu.my/jtec/article/view/3150

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 3-10: Engineering Solution Towards A Sustainable Society

Section

Articles

License

TRANSFER OF COPYRIGHT AGREEMENT

The manuscript is herewith submitted for publication in the Journal of Telecommunication, Electronic and Computer Engineering (JTEC). It has not been published before, and it is not under consideration for publication in any other journals. It contains no material that is scandalous, obscene, libelous or otherwise contrary to law. When the manuscript is accepted for publication, I, as the author, hereby agree to transfer to JTEC, all rights including those pertaining to electronic forms and transmissions, under existing copyright laws, except for the following, which the author(s) specifically retain(s):

  1. All proprietary right other than copyright, such as patent rights
  2. The right to make further copies of all or part of the published article for my use in classroom teaching
  3. The right to reuse all or part of this manuscript in a compilation of my own works or in a textbook of which I am the author; and
  4. The right to make copies of the published work for internal distribution within the institution that employs me

I agree that copies made under these circumstances will continue to carry the copyright notice that appears in the original published work. I agree to inform my co-authors, if any, of the above terms. I certify that I have obtained written permission for the use of text, tables, and/or illustrations from any copyrighted source(s), and I agree to supply such written permission(s) to JTEC upon request.


Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>