Malaysia: Clean Energy is on the Way Up and Up

Malaysia: Clean Energy is on the Way Up and Up

Clean energy sources are becoming increasingly common worldwide. Photo
Credit: Flickr
It often seems like there is nothing but gloom and doom when it comes to the
environment. We've reached a point of no return on climate change. We've
been making our oceans sick with global warming. We've been driving myriad
animals like Malaysia's iconic tigers to the brink of extinction.

But then, once in a while, in all that gloom and doom we encounter global
developments that give us hope for a better future. Here's one such
development: The world is on course to transition to a low-carbon global
economy with an ever larger share of renewables in the energy package.

"Despite lower fossil fuel prices, renewable power expanded at its
fastest-ever rate in 2015, thanks to supportive government policies and
sharp cost reductions," observes a medium-term market report on renewable
energy published by the International Energy Agency (IEA). "Renewables
accounted for more than half of the world's additional electricity capacity
last year." It adds a few words of caution, however: "Yet, even with this
remarkable progress, there are questions about whether renewables are on
track to reach targets set by the Paris Agreement."

In 2015 clean energy reached a milestone with renewables supplying 23.7%, or
almost a quarter, of the planet's power demands. Increased investments in
the sector last year massively boosted the power-generating capacity of
clean energy sources globally. "Last year marked a turning point for
renewables," the IEA explains. "Led by wind and solar, renewables
represented more than half the new power capacity around the world, reaching
a record 153 Gigawatt (GW), 15% more than the previous year. Most of these
gains were driven by record-level wind additions of 66 GW and solar PV
additions of 49 GW."

It gets better: In five years' time the total electricity generated by clean
energy sources could amount to 7,600 terawatt hours, which could rival the
total power output of the United States and the European Union combined (at
current rates). Already this year, in May, for one day the whole of Germany,
one of the planet's strongest economies which is fast transitioning to clean
energy sources, received almost all (95%) of its energy needs from
renewables, pointing the way forward for advanced economies. Of the 57.8
gigawatts consumed that day, solar power accounted for 45.2%, wind power for
36%, biomass power for 8.9%, and hydropower for 4.8%.

And it gets even better: Throughout 2015 about half a million solar panels
were installed every single day, according to the IEA. Meanwhile, China
accounted for about half the wind additions and 40% of all renewable
capacity increases with two wind turbines installed every single hour last
year. "We are witnessing a transformation of global power markets led by
renewables and, as is the case with other fields, the center of gravity for
renewable growth is moving to emerging markets," said Fatih Birol, the IEA's
executive director.

Malaysia is still lagging behind world-leaders in renewable energy usage,
but here too solar power and other clean energy sources are on their way up.

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Ref: https://cleanmalaysia.com/2016/10/28/clean-energy-way/

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com