KOTA KINABALU: The Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) Malaysia organised a stakeholders’ engagement workshop here yesterday to discuss the revision of digression rates for solar photovoltaic (PV) for projects achieving operation in 2015.
Officiating at the workshop, SEDA chairman Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai said the proposed digression rates for solar PV with installed capacities of up to 24kW would be 10 per cent, 15 per cent for installed capacities above 24 kW up to 1MW, and 20 per cent for capacities above 1MW up to 30MW.
“Additionally, the digression rates for bonus criteria for solar PV use as installation in buildings or building structures will be 20 per cent, and for use as building materials will be 80 per cent,” he said.
Yee explained that the revision of digression rates was necessary in order to ensure financial efficiency in managing the Renewable Energy (RE) Fund which is based on the collection of 1.6 per cent from electricity consumers of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) and NUR Distribution Sdn Bhd (NUR).
These proposed digression rates are targeted to be effective by January 1, 2015.
With reference to the recent opening quota on solar PV for individuals on May 2, 2014, there was an overwhelming response and the 2014 quota was insufficient to spread across all submitted applications.
“SEDA in previous platform, June 6, 2014 has offered to allocate the 2015 quota for those individual applicants who are successful in securing the 2014 quota. This 2015 solar PV quota for individuals will also be subjected to the proposed digression rates in para 1,” he said.
Yee also informed that SEDA had noticed an increase in the number of residential solar PV scams.
“Members of the public have lodged complaints with SEDA that certain companies had been promoting solar PV sales and imposing a hefty deposit with the promise that solar PV quota can be guaranteed,” noted Yee.
“SEDA will be allocating solar PV quota for 2014 and 2015 for those individual applications submitted in May 2014. As such, there will be no more new releases of individual PV quota for 2014 or 2015, and the public are cautioned not to be duped by unscrupulous parties who claim to be able to secure quota for these years mentioned.
“Members of the public are advised to check with SEDA’s official website, www.seda.gov.my for future quota release announcements,” urged Yee.
In relation to this, he said that SEDA was collaborating with the Malaysian PV Industry Association (MPIA) to develop a customer guide and standard template for solar PV sales contract which would be ready for public circulation next month.
In the meantime, the public are reminded to deal with solar PV companies which are recognised by SEDA to be PV authorised agents.
A list of PV authorised agents can be found in SEDA’s website, www.seda.gov.my.
Other salient advice includes limiting deposit to not more than RM1,000 and not to pay cash for any payments (save for deposit) to the PV authorised agents.