Low Carbon Energy Planning

Renewable energy is the way forward now because of the escalating price of the fossil fuel and electricity. It is also a requirement to go green now because of the carbon emission has expediting the process of global warming. The World is exploring multiple ways of exploring the cultivation of renewable energy. For countries that consume more energy because of cooling and heating purpose or for the sake industrialisation and development purpose, non-renewable energy, if relying too much on it is definitely not a good strategy. Some cities hve resolved to make it mandatory for buildings and development projects to achieve certain percentage of renewable energy and reduce the carbon emission. For example, in UK it is a legislative requirement that all buildings have to reduce 20% of carbon emission as well as having minimum 10% of renewable energy. Many buildings have installed either solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, heating system, air heating pump system, wind turbine, wind mill or other micropower generation system. The requirement of doing so is embedded in the planning permission. It is a condition for compliance as early as design stage. The developers have to submit building plan incorporating the system and got final approval before building. The Local Authorities will check on compliance upon completion stage. However, now the question is no system or mechanisme have been set to monitor the performance after completion stage and it is not a requirement now to request periodical report from the property owners. Much need to be done now. In Petaling Jaya, the Council has imposed condition for installing rain water harvesting system, but no monitoring mechanisme has been established to monitor the performance or even to verify the existance of the system. For the sake of low carbon green city initiative of PJ, immediate action should be taken or else similar dilemma as in UK will be forthcoming to PJ.