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Renewable
energy transforms remote areas
In the
Truong Sa Archipelago, a solar and wind energy system is replacing the
limited power supplied by diesel generators. Hoai
Ho Duong, a resident in Song Tu Tay island of the Truong Sa
Archipelago, and others living there have no worries about deficient power in
their homes or their workplace any more.
Almost all the islands of the Truong Sa, the Spratlys, have
benefited from a hybrid power system that utilises solar and wind power in 24
hours, and has replaced the limited six-hour power source from diesel
generators in previous years.
The wind and solar energy power also make the Truong Sa
islands greener by saving 774,000 litres of diesel and reduces carbon
emission worth 2,300 tonnes each year.
The renewable energy has been a major power source for 41
islands in Truong Sa since 2009 and other islands in the coastal provinces
from Thanh Hoa to Khanh Hoa, where the national power grid is unable to reach
or because of the prohibitive costs.
"It's so good now. Earlier, we had only six hours of
power from diesel generators, but now we utilise the never-ending renewable
energy power systems round-the-clock, as we did on the mainland," Duong,
who comes from Cam Ranh District in Khanh Hoa Province, said.
"Renewable power has provided us with a better life, and
the island seems to be closer to the mainland. Our production runs all day,
and we don't have to wait any longer to use power for a limited time,"
he said.
Vice Chairman of Truong Sa island district, Nguyen Viet Thuan,
said life has changed a lot on the island ever since the renewable energy
system was put into place.
"Islanders have become familiar with habits on the
mainland. They cook traditional food that is used for winter or Tet holidays
in the northern region because solar power-operated refrigerators can help
preserve the food for a week," Thuan said, adding that Truong Sa is
sunny all the time.
"Solar and wind power has helped bring about a major
change on the island. Truong Sa is seen as a green urban area in the sea with
clean and green energy."
Green
projects
Thach Van Chanh, an engineer from the Bach Khoa Solar
Investment Company (Solar BK), said the project made its debut during a
survey in 1992.
"We had proposed a long-term survey and research on the
never-ending clean energy on Truong Sa islands. It took us 14 years to
successfully complete the solar cell project in
"We installed a road lighting system on the island and
then increased capacity of the power system for the daily use of
islanders," he said.
According to a survey, Truong Sa has the potential for 70 per
cent wind energy and 30 per cent solar energy. The island has over 2,400
sunshine hours a year while wind speeds are between 20 and 39 kilometres per
hour from April to September.
The head of Solar BK company's project design department, Mai
Van Quy, said that for all 41 islands in the Truong Sa Archipelago, the wind
and solar energy systems are a major source of power.
"The systems could provide energy to almost all electric
equipment such as air conditioners and the base transceiver station (BTS) for
mobile phones with a 25-year-service life," Quy said.
"We did extensive research in Truong Sa and other islands
in the coastal provinces, from Thanh Hoa to Khanh Hoa, in order to deploy a
series of renewable energy systems," he said.
"It is effective and saves investment as we get returns
within five to seven years with low maintenance costs of the equipment.
Meanwhile, our technology solutions will help promote awareness of its
'green' lifestyle and environmentally-friendly manner," he said.
Tran Vu Lan, vice chairman of Song Tu Tay island commune in
the Truong Sa Archipelago, said solar power has improved the living standards
and lifestyle of the population.
"Local people and fishermen now benefit from the
never-ending clean energy. Fish is well preserved under a refrigeration run
by reliable power source rather than diesel generators," Lan said.
"The green power source also helped set up better
logistics and medical care services in the commune," he added.
According to Solar BK company's survey, islanders in Truong Sa
archipelago need around 3MW per day, while a diesel-driven generator system
only satisfies a third of the demand.
The solar and wind power system could meet the demand with
6.2MW per day even if it is not sunny for two days at a stretch.
"The system includes 20 solar and wind receivers, 120
wind turbines and 4,000 solar cell panels. It also includes 4,500 batteries,
320 electric frequency transformers, 250 solar power chargers apart from 100
light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs," said Deputy General Director of Solar
BK company, Nguyen Manh Cuong.
"The hybrid system of wind and solar power will provide
the islanders with a stable power source for use in their homes," Cuong
said.
He added that the company plans to upgrade the system to meet
the increasing demand of electricity on the islands in the future.
He said solar and wind power will be a major source that will
light up all the islands in Truong Sa.
Nguyen Van Thau, an islander in Bai Lang Village in Cham
Island, 18km off the coast of Hoi An, said solar power was used to light up
public roads and homestay houses for tourism.
"It also saves us money. We used to pay VND2,100-3,000
(10-14 US cents) per kilowatt from a diesel generator, and moreover power
supply was just for a few hours a day. In a storm, our diesel power systems
sometimes stopped working because fuel did not reach us from the
mainland," Thau explained.
"Solar power could give us 11 hours of power during the
night after a daytime charge. All pagodas, health centres and 20 home-stay
households can use clean power to cook or to use other electrical
equipment," he said.
Mai Van Quy of Solar BK, said the investment rate for the
development of renewable energy is still higher than fossil energy.
"The renewable power source is fit for islands and
isolated areas as well as for promoting a green lifestyle in cities," he
said.
He added that 400 residents of Bai Huong Village in Cham
Island, the most visited eco-tourism site, can use renewable energy with an
investment of VND9 billion ($428,000).
He said the system can promote environmental protection to the
Cham islands as it was recognised as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO in
2009 with 100,000 tourists visiting it annually.
The BK Solar company has put into operation the clean energy
project for the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago and Economic, Scientific and
Technical research and Service Platform with a total capacity of 5166kWh per
day.
A solar power system, which was built as a greenhouse project
of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ha Noi, also supplies
360KWh for daily use.
Solar power
heater
The city of
According to Solar BK, around 30 per cent of the city's
population has used solar power for heaters, while five-star hotels and
resorts have been using the solar power heater system as a saving and as an
environment-friendly solution.
"We installed a 4,000-litre solar power heater in our
hotel three years ago. The system saves us VND40 million ($1,900) per year in
electricity bills. We have also set up a 3,000-litre solar power heater to
make our hotel a green hotel," said technical manager of the four-star
Bamboo Green hotel, Phan Tan.
"We also promote environment protection by notices in the
rooms. They (tourists) can recognise that the hot water in the hotel is
through solar power," he said.
The solar power heater system is being used at 38 buildings
nationwide, of which 26 hotels and resorts in tourism sites of Hoi An,
"The biggest project was a swimming pool at an
international school in
Vu noted that wind and solar power projects with 80 per cent
of localised technology are still costly with $5 per 1kWh compared to
hydropower or diesel-run power plants.
He said that renewable energy, which could provide 24 hours of
power, is actually an effective solution on offshore islands and isolated
areas that are out of the national grid reach.
Investors needed financial assistance from the Government to
get a green power source in place of the national grid.
"The Government should support green energy projects with
preferential loans, and carbon quota payments for Government-funded solar and
wind power projects," Vu explained.
"We have been reducing imported accessories and parts for
our solar and wind power plants. It would boost the household clean energy
use in the future," he said.
"We provide off-grid and grid-tie solution for
residential use of solar power at an investment of $3 per 1kWh for grid-tie
solution. It means that price of renewable energy costs around VND3,000
($0.14) per 1kWh," he detailed.
Vu hoped the Government would soon have a policy on priority
for a national grid-tie for solar power.
He said residents could get reimbursement from the national
grid-tie solar power system as the system supplies electricity for the grid
around the clock.
He said Solar BK has been a frontrunner promoting renewable
energy solutions for household use.
"Our company has launched a mock-up clean energy project
at the FPT Smart city and an urban project in
"I hope
He said the company started developing two 3kWh solar power
and heater system projects for two-room residences in Da Nang at a cost of
VND200 million ($9,500).
Pilot
projects
The central city's Science and Technology Department has
developed a pilot project for installation of a solar power system and
Light-emitting Diode (LED) for two deep-sea fishing vessels in the city
before applying it to mass trawlers.
The project aims to provide fishing trawlers with a stable and
saving energy source for using communication receivers and low-powered
devices.
The solar power and LED systems has helped to reduce fuel
consumption to 30 litres from 100 litres, saving at least VND2 million ($95)
on each trip.
The city has been using battery powered and solar powered cars
for tourism as one of the four low-carbon model projects that include battery
powered bicycles, technologies to curb greenhouse gas emissions and renewable
energy sources, a metro system and a bus rapid transit system.
The city was selected as an APEC city for a Low-Carbon Model
Town Project that included 20 low-carbon model cities using energy-efficient
technologies, including smart grids and renewable power generation.
According to the city's Department of Natural Resources and
Environment,
The city University's Technology College has been involved in
research to produce never-ending bio-fuels from green micro-algae (chlorella
vulgaris), solving the problem of biogas tank sludge, carbon emission and
waste water from sea-food processing plants in the most polluted areas.
The city has yet to develop projects to use energy from sea
waves and tides and could extract 4.2 million cubic metres of biogas in rural
areas.
Du Van Toan, from the Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment's
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Thứ Bảy, 26 tháng 7, 2014
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