THE Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris （UPSI） campus in Proton City, Tanjung Malim, Perak, will save RM13.5 million and reduce 56,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over a 20-year period as it undertakes a solar project.
These are just some of the expected benefits from the planned construction of 3.24 megawatt peak （MWp） photovoltaic （PV） solar panels at the Sultan Azlan Shah Campus.
The project, a collaboration between UPSI Holdings Sdn Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Bhd （TNB） and Synergy Generated Sdn Bhd, is also expected to benefit students in the space of renewable energy （RE）。
“The collaboration will also open up more research potential, technology transfer and job opportunities for UPSI graduates interested in the RE field,” UPSI vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Md Amin Md Taff said at a signing ceremony for the project in Tanjung Malim, on May 31.
Md Amin said the project directly correlates with the university’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goals （SDGs）， optimises asset utilisation and is in line with its strategic objectives toward the development of a smart, digital, sustainable and environmentally-friendly campus.
He said that UPSI’s electricity bill amounts to RM11.6 million per year.
The first phase of the project involves eight construction areas such as open halls, multi-purpose covered parking sports complex, convocation fairground, faculty building and mosque.
“The project will be the first of its kind as it will include a dual-purpose solar arena and carports that will double as event spaces during convocation and other significant events on the university grounds,” Synergy Generated MD Syed Mohamed Fazilla Syed Hussain told The Malaysian Reserve （TMR）。
At the event, UPSI signed a Supply Agreement-Renewable Energy （SARE） with Synergy Generated and TNB, while Synergy Generated also signed another agreement with Bank Islam （M） Bhd.
Founded in 2010, Synergy Generated has been specialising in solar project development since 2012. The firm is involved in engineering and designing large-scale and commercial PV solar systems with a capacity exceeding 165MW.
Synergy Generated, led by its executive chairman Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Mahmood, is also the owner and operator of two PV solar farms in Terengganu, with the first farm operating since 2014.
Among others, Synergy Generated enables its clients to execute a smooth transition to clean and RE in the most cost-effective manner and also employ the latest technology on offer. It also provides a single source solution to large-scale solar projects from the infancy stage of engineering design and simulation to sourcing for the cost-effective financing solutions available in the market.
The UPSI project signing ceremony was also attended by UPSI directors Senator Datuk Dr Azhar Ahmad and Datuk Seri Ahmad Burak, UPSI treasurer Mohamad Najib Mohamed, TNB chief customer officer Nasaruddin Mohd Zaini and Bank Islam chief business officer for group institutional banking Sharifah Sarah Syed Mohamad Tahir. — TMR
