Following up on the introduction to Thursday's "As U.S. Bans Some Chinese Solar Imports, India Makes A Big Bet".
From ChannelNewsAsia, (Updated: ):
JAKARTA: Opened to the public in 1978, Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque was built to commemorate Indonesia’s independence.
But over the years, the biggest mosque in Southeast Asia has become more than just a symbol of independence.
It also represents tolerance and pluralism in Indonesia, as it was built by a Christian architect and stands just across Jakarta’s cathedral. World leaders such as Angela Merkel, Narendra Modi and Barack Obama have visited the mosque.
A recent major renovation is sending yet another important message to the world: renewable energy and climate change. There are now 504 solar panels that have been installed, generating an equivalent of 150,000 watt-peak (Wp).
“They help to save our monthly electricity usage,” said Suhendri, the mosque’s technician who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
While solar panels on mosques or houses of worship are still relatively rare in Indonesia, the Jakarta government pledged last year to install more solar panels in the city, especially on government buildings and schools.
The step was taken in line with the need to combat climate change and reduce illnesses caused by Jakarta’s notorious air pollution.
Launching Jakarta's clean air initiative in September, city governor Anies Baswedan said: "Experts estimate that air pollution has caused over 5.5 million cases of air pollution illness in Jakarta every year. That is nearly 11 cases every minute ... In recognition of the importance of clean air, I issued the governor instruction number 66 in July last year which put in place seven solutions the Jakarta government has to do for clean air."
"Among the solutions, we strive to install more solar panels in government buildings, accelerate the development of mass rapid transit as well as increasing the use of clean energy for transportation," he added.Back in 2017, the Indonesian government initiated a movement called The National Movement of One Million Solar Roofs to encourage buildings to use solar energy.
These are all measures taken to ensure Indonesia can reach its target to use 23 per cent renewable energy by 2025 while cutting emissions by as much as 29 per cent by 2030.
But despite various efforts, solar energy adoption is still low in Indonesia.
Experts interviewed by CNA said financial constraints and inconsistent policies are the main reasons. However, they still believe in the potential of solar energy in the archipelago.
FOSSIL FUEL DOMINATES INDONESIA'S ENERGY MIX
Lying on the equator, Indonesia has abundant sources of solar energy, said Satrio Swandiko Prillianto, Greenpeace Indonesia Renewable Energy Campaigner.
There is about 208 gigawatt (GW) of solar energy potential in the country. But in 2019, only about 100MW, or 0.09 per cent of its potential has been installed, said Mr Prillianto.
The energy density is on average 4.8 kWh/sq m/day.....
....MUCH MORE
