Turn every house into mini IPP – Shareda

KOTA KINABALU (Nov 14): Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Shareda) wants every house in Sabah to be installed with a solar panel and become a mini independent power producer (IPP).

Its president, Datuk Chua Soon Ping, said he had spoken to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor and Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Ginger Phoong Jin Zhe on this matter.

“In January 2024, the SESB (Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd) will have to report to Sabah Energy Commission (SEC) and no longer to KL. I talked to CM and Ginger. We, Shareda, want every (house) owner, if possible, to install solar (panels).”

Chua added that the mini IPP can gather the energy from the sunlight during daytime and pass it to the SESB’s main grid, and by night time, when there is no more sunlight, the homeowners can use the power from SESB.

He said that this will help the homeowners to save on the electricity bills.

“If everyone does it, we won’t need the IPP. We all have mini IPP. Solar (panels) on rooftops – this is what you call mini IPP,” he said.

Chua also said that this will eradicate or minimise the incidence of power disruption.

“We talk about 24 hours efficiency and 20 percent savings for the owners in Sabah who install the solar panel,” he said at a press conference after the Shareda talk entitled “Tax & Budget 2024 Updates & ESG Incentives” at Bay21 on Tuesday.

However, he claimed that SESB disapproved of it.

“SESB says like this is ‘rugi’ (losing),” he said.

He added that this was very short-sighted and claimed further that SESB will not allow for the installation of solar panels to be connected to the main grid.

“We are actually appealing to the Sabah Energy Commission to impose on them (SESB) to accept. Because KL accepts, why can’t Sabah have it? Sarawak accepts except Sabah because SESB will not comply,” he said.

If this materialises, he said it will encourage a lot of terrace houses to become mini IPP, which will allow clean and green energy to be produced by solar.

Chua also said that he will be writing a letter to the Chief Minister and he will go to the SEC and then to the SESB.

“We should not be short-sighted. We should move towards the future,” he reminded.

He also said that there is a solar panel factory at the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, which is Kibing Solar.

“Shareda and (interested) individuals will not need to import (the panels) from KL. Everything can be done from Sabah.

“I have asked the Industrial Development Minister that they should not export everything overseas. Ask them to give special pricing to Sabahans. Distribute to all families so that they become mini IPP all over Sabah,” he said.

On another topic, Chua said that Shareda will be helping the State Government to construct affordable housing for the B40 and M40 groups in Sepanggar between Universiti Malaysia Sabah and 1Borneo on a 60 acres of land.

“Shareda will help the State to build. I think about 3,000 houses,” he said.

He added that the land is contributed by the State Government, and Shareda is working with them to find out how to do it.