UMPSA now possesses Floating Solar Panels

PEKAN, 2 November 2023 – The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), Dato' Seri Abdul Razak Jaafar, made an official visit for the first time to the university since his appointment as Chairman of the Board of Directors, effective November 1, 2023. 

His arrival was welcomed by the Vice-Chancellor of UMPSA, Professor Dato' Ts. Dr. Yuserrie Zainuddin, along with the university's top management and deans at the Tun Abdul Razak Chancellery Building in Pekan.

Dato' Seri Abdul Razak was taken on a tour around the campus and met with staff in the faculties and main campus facilities, including laboratories and research centres, using an electric bus (EV).

During this visit, he also had the opportunity to tour the campus and witness the floating solar panels on the UMPSA lake recently. 

The solar panels consist of 240 units, 1 unit of a 125 Amp inverter, and more than 136 floaters, covering an area of 2,574 square meters. 

The floating solar panel system is designed to withstand weather changes and keep the platform and operational equipment of these solar panels balanced on the water's surface.

He stated that the installation of these solar panels involves three methods: installation on building roofs, installation on vehicle parking lots, or, in technical terms, Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV), and installation of solar panels on the lake surface.

"This floating solar project makes history as UMPSA becomes the first public university in the country to have floating solar panels with a capacity of 159 kWp for electricity generation, expected to generate at least 197,319 kWh of energy per year. 

“Additionally, it has the potential to offset the release of 126.1 tons of CO2 gas, making UMPSA realize its aspiration to achieve the goal of becoming a carbon-neutral country.

"Meanwhile, the installation of a 3.58MWp capacity solar panel at UMPSA Pekan is expected to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions on the UMPSA Pekan Campus by 47 percent, resulting in electricity bill savings of up to RM 600,000 per year," he said.

Meanwhile, Dato' Seri Abdul Razak expressed satisfaction with UMPSA's achievements and hoped that the collaborative efforts between UMPSA and all stakeholders would make the university even more outstanding in the future.

He stated that as the best university in the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN), UMPSA will continue to demonstrate the university's commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and assess the university's efforts in addressing global environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues.

"Moreover, we will always strive to introduce sustainable technologies and practices to the community, educate, and, more importantly, be a role model for sustainability principles," he said.

UMPSA also received a Three Diamond recognition for Low Carbon Building Assessment from the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) recently, proving UMPSA's ability to implement efficient electricity usage, renewable energy use, and carbon dioxide emission reduction.

Other locations visited also included the Makerslab & EV Lab located at the Faculty of Mechanical & Automotive Engineering Technology (FTKMA), Scuba Pool & Obstacle Course located at the ADAB Academy, Motion Lab & Sisco Lab located at the Faculty of Computing, and the Centre for Design & Innovation of Technology (PRInT).

By: Nur Ainaa Adhreena Muhamad Shukri, Centre for Corporate Communications

Translation by: Aminatul Nor Mohamed Said, UMPSA Career Centre (UMPSACC)