UGM to introduces solar energy<\/p>\n
Gin Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
For economic reasons, state-run Gadjah Mada University has
\ndecided to exploit solar energy to meet its electricity needs
\nnext year.<\/p>\n
\"The project has been well prepared. The whole installation
\nwill be completed next year,\" Yudi Utomo Ismarjoko, the project
\nleader, said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
According to Yudi, who is also dean of the School of Nuclear
\nTechnology at the university, it is essential that the university
\npossesses its own solar-powered generator.<\/p>\n
\"This relates to the law on regional autonomy and the
\npossibility that state-owned electricity company (PLN) will not
\nhave enough energy to supply power to the campus in the future.
\nWe also want to minimize the university's operational costs,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"Someday, the campus will be short of power if it continues to
\nbe dependent on PLN. There is also the possibility that the law
\non regional autonomy may cause PLN to cut or decrease its supply
\nto the university, which is located in Yogyakarta. It is
\nestimated that in 2005 PLN will be short of 10 gigawatts of
\npower.\"<\/p>\n
\"The university needs a total of 5 megawatts of power, which
\nis now supplied by PLN Central Java Distribution Unit. In return,
\nwe pay a total of Rp 5 billion annually to PLN. That amount is as
\nmuch as the students' annual tuition fees,\"<\/p>\n
The university now has a total of 50,000 students, who each
\npay Rp 1 million a year for tuition. \"So we've just transferred
\nthe students' money to PLN,\" said Yudi, who is also head of
\nGadjah Mada's Center of Energy Studies.<\/p>\n
The idea to exploit solar energy came when the campus was
\nthinking about its energy supply some time ago. \"The World Bank
\noffered us US$2 million in grants. We decided to use the money to
\nfund the development of a solar energy project,\" Yudi recalled.<\/p>\n
He said that PT Mambruk International, a subsidiary of
\nAmerica's Shell Oil assisted the university in the project.<\/p>\n
The new solar-powered generator is expected to produce between
\n10 and 15 megawatts of power, exceeding the university's needs.
\n\"Therefore, we plan to sell the power to PLN, which is short of
\nenergy. Legally, any party is allowed to produce electricity and
\nto sell it, even to PLN,\" he said, referring to the 2000
\nElectricity Law, which allows a multi-buyer and multi-seller
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
However, he said he had yet to calculate the profit from
\nselling the energy. \"What we have calculated is, if things run as
\nscheduled, Gadjah Mada University will be the first state
\nuniversity in the country to supply its own electricity needs.
\nAnd we will also find that our operations are an extra source of
\nincome for the institution.\"<\/p>\n
The government has changed the status of Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity, as well as the Bandung Institute of Technology, the
\nBogor Agriculture Institute (IPB) and Jakarta-based University of
\nIndonesia. These three higher institutions, which were formerly
\nunder the auspices of the Ministry of Education, have had to seek
\ntheir own capital to fund their operations.<\/p>\n
Yudi was optimistic that the big project would run as planned.
\n\"In the past the main constraint had been funding. Now that the
\nWorld Bank has awarded us a substantial grant, things will run
\nmore smoothly.\"<\/p>\n
\"The solar cells will be installed on all the roofs of the
\ncampus buildings. In this way we can absorb as much solar energy
\nas we need to produce between 10 and 15 megawatts of power.\"<\/p>\n
For its trial run, a generator, including the solar cells,
\nwill be installed close to the campus mosque. \"We hope to get
\n2,000 watts of power during the trial run,\" he said, adding that
\nthe Rp 100 million initial project would be conducted on Tuesday.<\/p>",
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