Rooftop solar PV launched at SM St. Michael, Sabah

Greenery welcomes you as you approach St. Michael secondary school.

While 10 schools in Sabah celebrate their achievement of 100% passes in the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) this year, SM St Michael has a bonus reason to celebrate.

The school became the first in Sabah to have the solar photovoltaic (PV) system installed on its roof to reduce the school's electricity consumption. More importantly, this will pave the way for Malaysians to learn and appreciate the technology at early stage.

The installation of the 5.4kWp rooftop solar here was completed in January 2013, thanks to a worldwide project named dena Solar Roofs Programme, coordinated by the Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH, and co-financed by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.

Brief information of the rooftop installation:

Installed capacity       : 5.4 kWp

Solar module              : 24 panels

Area of roof covered  : 41m²

Panel rating                : 225W

Inverter                       : 2 nos (to convert DC to AC supply)

Energy production     : 6,800 kWh annually. Approximately 567 kWh per month

Cost                             : €2,000 to €2,500 per kWp without battery (RM8,000 - RM10,000)

For educational purposes:

A display panel has been installed in the centre of the school to display the actual power in kW and the accumulated generated energy (in kWh) and CO₂ savings over the entire period.

"The main goal is to support the cooperation between German and Malaysian experts in the field of photovoltaic and also sharing of knowledge about the systems under the specific conditions in Malaysia." 

           - Gabriele Eichner of the German Energy Agency.

The school became the programme's first recipient in Malaysia

Another school with solar PV installation is SK Pulau Sepanggar, located half an hour boat-ride from Kota Kinabalu. This is a full capacity installation which means the school gets all its power requirement from this installation alone. The school is not connected to the power grid due to its location.

It is a self initiative by the government to improve the quality of life of the local community as well as to provide a better learning environment for the school children.

SK Pulau Sepanggar hybrid system: The 25kWp solar PV is coupled with diesel generator set

TheGreenMechanics' two cents:

While fully agreeing to the school selection, I am hoping that the "dena Solar Roofs Programme" will also look into the many underprivileged rural schools in the interior. They acknowledged that the programme is most suited for places such as those in the remote areas in East Malaysia. 

Source: The Green Mechanics

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Hunt for croc in drain

KOTA KINABALU: A crocodile was recently spotted in the monsoon drain near the Rainforest Park at Jalan Penampang.
State Wildlife Department chief veterinarian Dr Sen Nathan said wildlife rangers conducted a search at the area and spotted the crocodile, believed to be about three-meter long on Monday.
“We searched the area with a spotlight and saw the crocodile. Once it is caught, we will relocate the crocodile away from the state capital,” he said yesterday.
According to Dr Sen, there were reports of a crocodile being sighted in the monsoon drain near Wisma Khidmat several years ago.
“We are not sure if this is the same animal although it is part of the drainage system that runs along the Rainforest Park,” he said, adding that historically there were crocodiles in rivers running through Kota Kinabalu.
“At the moment, we are uncertain about the origin of this particular animal,” Dr Sen said when asked if it was possible the reptile could have escaped from captivity.
City police meanwhile had not received any report of crocodile attack here in the state capital.
Dr Sen said wildlife rangers had also set a trap in Kota Belud, about 90km from here, to catch a crocodile that attacked a 74-year-old woman in Kampung Tampasuk on April 17.
It was reported that the woman, Luayoh Kindurus, fought off the crocodile with a cane after it bit her feet as she was crossing a drain to a padi field in Kampung Sondikut

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/05/10/hunt-for-croc-in-drain/#ixzz1utQKK8QV

Photo Source:  http://www.coloring-pages-kids.com/coloring-pages/animal-coloring-pages/crocodiles-coloring-pages/crocodiles-coloring-pages-images/crocodile-aligator-coloring-page-04.php

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