KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — Trina Solar, a global photovoltaic (PV) and smart energy total solutions provider, sees Malaysia’s robust policies to encourage the adoption of solar energy to spur the industry’s growth on a local and regional level.

Head of Southeast Asian Elva Wang said Malaysia’s commitment to achieve carbon-neutral status by 2050 has resulted in the growing need for renewable energy sources, where there is an increased demand for solar energy, especially from the environmental, social and governance (ESG)-focused local and multi-national companies operating in Malaysia.

"Malaysia’s renewable industry has witnessed an enormous growth in the past decade and solar PV plays a significant role in the energy transition,” she told Bernama today.

She said there has been strong demand for rooftop solar in Malaysia as households and businesses try to mitigate rising electricity prices.

"With rising electricity consumption and costs, pro-solar policies are being met with open arms by consumers and businesses alike,” she said.

Wang said according to research, the adoption of solar energy in Malaysia as of August 2023 has surpassed the full-year total of 2022 by five per cent.

She said the key drivers contributing to this growth included the falling cost of solar installations, improved financing options, government policy of Net Energy Metering (NEM) programme, and above all, a heightened awareness of the environmental benefits of solar energy.

"Electricity will continue to dominate energy consumption. It is estimated that by 2050, primary energy supply in Malaysia is expected to increase by 60 per cent over that of 2018 while the country’s population is projected to rise to more than 40 million people,” she said.

Wang said in tandem with the rising consumer demand, Trina Solar has been expanding its offerings to be a "total solutions provider”, including soon-to-be launched n-type modules in Malaysia powered by i-TOPCon Ultra technology.

"We have already begun our mass production of Vertex N 700W+ series modules with module efficiency reaching 22.5 per cent in August,” she said.

She said by the end of this year, the company envisioned to reach a cell capacity of 75 gigawatts (GW), including 40GW of n-type cells, all equipped with its latest n-type i-TOPCon Advanced technology.

"In the long run, our key focus will be the introduction of Trina Solar’s Elementa Battery Energy Storage Solution to meet the local demands, especially in the residential and commercial and industrial (C&I) sector,” she said.

Meanwhile, Wang said an agreement signed between Trina Solar and GSPARX Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), on Monday to work together in developing a robust sustainable energy sector in Malaysia further strengthened and expanded the relationship between the two companies on a strategic and working level.

"We are focusing on securing business opportunities for rooftop, floating and grounded-mounted systems for our mutual benefit and helping Malaysia move towards a green net-zero future,” she said.

She said under the MoU, Trina Solar would share its international knowledge and technical expertise with GSPARX with regard to, among others, smart grid solutions and energy storage systems.

"This co-operation will enable GSPARX to strengthen its technical in-house capabilities and help, for example, navigate technical challenges in solar rooftop projects,” she added.

Through the MoU, Trina Solar and GSPARX agree to establish a working committee that will help drive sustainability initiatives and promote the adoption of renewable energy in the country.

Additionally, the parties agree to do joint marketing and work collaboratively to explore and unlock new business opportunities, so as to develop Malaysia’s solar photovoltaic market. — Bernama