How Does NEM Works?
Net Energy Metering (NEM) is a concept whereby the energy produced from the solar power system will be consumed first and the excess solar power system-generated energy will be exported back to the grid on a “one-on-one” offset basis for a period of 10 years of operation.
NEM 3.0 was introduced in December 2020 with quota allocation of 500MW, due to the overwhelming responses from NEM 2.0,
to provide more opportunities in Malaysia’s Renewable Energy (RE) uptake.
How Long Can A Solar Power System Last For?
Two of the major components in a solar power system are solar panels and inverters. Solar panels have a typical lifespan of 25 years, backed by manufacturer’s performance warranty and 10 years for inverter. If it concerns you, most solar panels and inverters comes with manufacturer product warranty for 12 years and 5 years respectively.
The cost to replace the inverters can range from 10% to 20% of the cost of the entire solar power system, depending on the quality. Inverters can be expensive to replace because it acts as the heart of the solar power system, it protects and regulates the entire solar power system. Precautions can be taken to longer the lifespan of the inverters (eg. ensuring good air flow to lower operating temperature, keep away from water/rain splash, and investing in higher quality inverters). If all else fails, you can always extend the warranty of the inverters up to 15 years to 20 years, depending on manufacturer.
Will The Facing Of My House Influence The Solar Output?
For fixed mounted panels, the ideal direction of the house will be to face South, however due to uncontrollable factors, clients are generally encouraged to utilise any available space to maximise the production of solar energy output.
Our experienced system designer will give an estimated performance based on each site.
What Is Peak Sun Hour (PSH)?
Peak Sun Hour (PSH) is a performance indicator based on irradiance received at a particular site. 1 PSH equals to 1kwh/m², the measurement used are generally based on the daily average of solar energy output in a year. Basically, the higher the Sun Hours, the more energy can be harvested from the sunlight.
Malaysia has an average of 4-4.9 PSH, excluding environmental factors.
How To Know If My Solar Power System Is Performing?
A well-designed solar power system should produce at least 3.3 PSH throughout the year unless a significant area of the solar panels is shaded. To put it into context, a 10kwp system should produce 12045kwh/year (eg. 10kwp x 3.3 PSH/day x 365 = 12045kwh/year).
Do note that, every site has a different PSH, always refer to the proposal by the solar power system designer.
Do I Need To Install A Battery For My Solar Power System?
There are two main category of solar power systems, namely Grid Connected Photovoltaic (GCPV) and Off-Grid Photovoltaic (OGPV). NEM is a scheme for solar power system connected directly to the grid. Excess energy generated will be exported back to the grid and additional energy needed will be imported from the grid. Hence, there is no need of a battery pack.
Does Solar Power System Require Frequent Maintenance?
There is no scheduled maintenance needed for Grid Connected Photovoltaic system, other than keeping the solar panels clean to ensure optimum performance.
Is Now The Time To Install Solar Power System?
The incentive, NEM granted by SEDA is of limited quota. Throughout history, every time a new scheme is announced, the incentive is of lesser or worse compared to the previous scheme. Concurrently, the prices of solar power system has also drop throughout the years. Resulting in the same return-of-investment period since NEM was first announced.
SEDA has been in Malaysia since 2011 with thousands of MW installed in Malaysia. Solar power system in Malaysia has moved past the innovators and early adopters phase of technology adoption life cycle, and gradually moving towards market maturity whereby prices are at the most competitive stage for the early-majority adopters. Hence, clients are advised to get solar power system now for the best deals.
Can I Install Solar Panels For My Car Porch?
If it is on residential land, yes. Preferably on zinc roof without shade.
Where Should I Place My Inverter?
Any walls that can be mounted with easy accessibility, good air flow and away from water splashes will be fantastic.
Generally car porch, balcony, attic, or indoor area.
Do I Need Hacking To Connect The Inverter To My Outdoor TNB Meter?
NEM systems are only required to connect to existing distribution box (DB), either main DB or sub-DB, provided that the cable is thick enough to support the current. No connection to the meter is required.
Will The Solar Panels Damage My Roof?
We have special aluminium mounting structures to install the solar panels for different roof types: tile, zinc, or concrete.
No drilling will be done on the surface of the roof to prevent roof damage and the risk of leaking.
Will Lighting Damage My Solar Panels and Catch Fire?
We have multiple layers of protection, which includes external and internal lightning protection systems. Starting from the top, each panel is grounded with surge protection devices added onto the solar power system to provide the second layer of protection and lastly, the inverters have built in circuit breaker.
Solar power system has an extremely low fire risk, if designed well and installed professionally.
Will My Solar Power System Emits Harmful Radiation?
Solar panels use sun irradiation to produce energy, by which the wavelength is between Ultraviolet (UV) and Infrared. The solar power system itself does not produce any radiation.
In addition, solar panels can actually help to reduce the temperature of the roof as the direct contact of heat from solar radiation is blocked from the roof.
