Inaugurates the Largest Solar Roof Power Plant in Central Java: Energy Transition is Inevitable 

One Year Reflection of Central Java Solar ProvinceSolar

Klaten, 6 October 2020 – A year since the declaration of Central Java Solar Province (the pioneer province in Indonesia utilizing solar energy in their energy mix) on 17 September 2019 by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) of Central Java Province, in collaboration with the Institute of Essential Services Reform (IESR) and supported by the Indonesian Solar Energy Association (AESI), the development of the use of rooftop Solar Power Plants in Central Java is increasing. 

Central Java Province itself has the potential for solar energy radiation of 4.05 kWh/kWp per day, slightly above Indonesia’s average (3.75 kWh / kWp). The installation of rooftops solar can help the Central Java Provincial Government achieve the renewable energy mix target in the 2020 Regional Energy Plan (RUED) of 11.60%.

The initiation of Central Java Solar Province is in line with PT Tirta Investama (Danone-AQUA) efforts to use renewable energy electricity. On October 6, 2020, Danone AQUA inaugurated its Solar Roof installation of 2.9 MWp at its factory in Klaten. The Solar Roof installed at the AQUA factory in Klaten consists of 8,340 modules solar panels in four roof buildings covering an area of ​​16,550m2. This power plant can generate energy for 2500 housing units with an installed power of 900 VA.

As part of RE100, the Danone group is globally committed to using 100% renewable energy for its operations by 2030. The roof-top PV installation is part of meeting this target. With the inauguration in Klaten, until 2020, Danone-AQUA has operated 5.67 MWp PLTS in its four factories.   

To install PLTS Roof, PT Tirta Investama is collaborating with Total Solar. Total Solar itself was originally an oil and gas company from France. The company is starting to switch to diversification to develop renewable energy. Total Solar has installed PLTS in three AQUA factories in the Java region. 

Fabby Tumiwa, Director of IESR, the respondent at this launch event, appreciated PT Tirta Investama’s steps in utilizing renewable energy that can reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions, according to Indonesia’s commitment (NDC) to achieving the Paris Agreement target. The Rooftop solar also contributes to Central Java’s commitment to realizing the Central Java Solar Province program. 

He also highlighted the involvement of Total Solar as a multinational company initially involved in the oil and gas sector, which is currently switching to the renewable energy sector.

“The investment in Rooftop solar by Danone-AQUA is an interesting phenomenon because it brings together two multinational companies that work together to encourage the global energy transition to ensure that global temperature increases do not exceed 2 degrees,” he explained.

According to Fabby, the energy transition is necessary to see that many industrial players have set targets to use clean electricity through the use of renewable energy technology. 

Fabby also reiterates if PT Tirta Investama’s investment shows that solar technology has now become more affordable, and the price of electricity is competitive. Following the fact that the cost of modules has fallen 90 percent in the last decade, the price of electricity from solar PV is getting cheaper and can match fossil plants such as PLTU. The widespread use of Rooftop solar also shows that intermittent renewable energy is not an insurmountable obstacle. This debunked the myth that has been circulating so far that PLTS is not reliable and expensive. 

Questioning the government’s target for a 23 percent renewable energy mix by 2025, Harris Yahya, Director of EBTKE, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, explained that there is still a large gap between targets and planning must be addressed immediately. 

“Currently, our projection is still at 15 percent from 23 percent,” he said.

Harris explained that the government had taken several actions to meet the target of the 8 percent difference.

“The government has issued a Ministerial Regulation (Permen) number 49 of 2018, which has undergone improvements to Permen number 13 of 2019 and number 16 of 2019. This effort is to make Rooftop solar more attractive in the home industry and in all commercial buildings. , “He added.

Ganjar Pranowo, Governor of Central Java, praised the industry’s steps for implementing environmentally friendly energy. Ganjar emphasized the importance of behavior transformation in entering this energy transition era.

“There are solar-powered lights for street lighting that broken because they are not maintained, or the battery is missing. Maintenance funds from the central government are not available, but local governments can do something like this. Therefore, it is necessary to have an umbrella of cooperation between government agencies, training to maintain it and the great involvement of various parties so that the technology can be used sustainably, “he said.

Ganjar believes that Indonesia can move forward in the Rooftop solar sector because of the availability of the basic material for making solar cells. Therefore, Indonesia needs to build a solar cell industry and other supporters. 

“In collaboration with universities in Indonesia, we can certainly make battery technology (Rooftop solar) so that it can be mass-produced for households,” concluded Ganjar (US, FT). 

500 Tons of Carbon Emissions in 2050 Potentially could be prevented, if the Government Take Serious Action in Preparing a Road Map for Low Carbon Transportation 

Event Report: A Transition Toward Low Carbon Transportation

Jakarta, Tuesday, October 6, 2020 – With economic development, transportation has become a necessity that is inseparable from our everyday life. If its carbon wastes have not been handled carefully by the government and various parties, the earth’s temperature will be compromised, which endangers human life. It also means that Indonesia will fail to meet its promise in the Paris Agreement with zero emissions by 2050. This urgency was discussed by the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) in the launch of its second series of five reports on the Indonesian Energy Transition Roadmap entitled A Transition Towards Low Carbon Transport in Indonesia: A Technological Perspective. Conducted online this event was attended by Firdaus Komarno, Head of the Center for Sustainable Transportation Management of the Ministry of Transportation, and Faela Sufa, Southeast Asia Director of the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP), to respond to the findings and recommendations of the report written by Julius Christian Adiatma.

Julius explained that as the largest fuel consumers, transportation contributed around 150 million tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) in 2017. If the energy consumption pattern remains the same, in 2050, it will produce 500 tons of carbon emissions. He offers three approaches to reduce the use of fossil fuels and mitigate the impact of the energy transition in the transportation sector, namely Avoid, Shift, and Improve (ASI).

“The Avoid approach means that as much as possible, we reduce the number of trips and the number of transportation needs through better urban planning. Meanwhile, the Shift is shifting to a mode of transportation that is more energy-efficient or less carbon-intensive. Improving means increasing the efficiency of the vehicle or the carbon intensity of the vehicles,” he explained.

Discussing energy-efficient modes of transportation, Julius suggested the development of light vehicle electrification. However, this requires careful planning by taking into account the electrical system in Indonesia, which still uses coal, and the lack of supporting infrastructure such as electric vehicle chargers. 

“The point is, whether we like it or not, the energy transition is inevitable. Of course, it causes some side effects, for instance, infrastructure unpreparedness or technology choice errors. A decrease in economic activity or the occurrence of stranded assets, “he added. 

Julius also mentioned the goal of the Ministry of Transportation’s road maps, based on his study, is not comprehending the Paris Agreement.

“If we look at the roadmap of the automotive industry until 2034, if I am not mistaken, only 30 percent of vehicle production is in the form of solar energy vehicles or fuel cells. If so, then the projection in 2020, only 30 percent of electric vehicles will be on the roads, ”he explained. 

He stated that the energy transition road map in the transportation sector must contain infrastructure development that is in line with technological developments, anticipate the economic-social impact of the transition along with its mitigation plans, as well as research and development of alternative low-carbon transportation technologies. Besides, the government must have a plan and ensure that this transition process is successfully implemented while reducing the risks from the transition process that occurs, especially to the stakeholders involved (including industry players, workers, and affected communities). 

Responding to Julius’ explanation, Faela agreed that the government must be more proactive in addressing the need for low-carbon transportation, not only at the national level and even at the regional level. 

“There is a need for road maps and targets at the regional level to switch to public transportation with renewable energy so that it is not only about electricity,” she said. 

She also suggested that the Ministry of Transportation could encourage non-fiscal intensive policies in local governments, such as lower parking tickets for low-carbon vehicles. 

Responding to this, Firdaus Komarno generally agreed on Indonesia’s need to make an energy transition. Through his presentation, Firdaus revealed that the government has issued various policies to encourage energy transition in the transportation sector. However, he admitted that it was not well integrated. 

“Hopefully, in the future, especially the three Ministries, such as Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Transportation and Industry work together, integrate to guard this low-carbon development,” he hoped. 

Firdaus has the same view regarding the challenges of the energy transition in Indonesia. In addition to what Julius has mentioned, one of the obstacles the government faces is the absence of a stipulation of electricity rates, so it does not provide certainty for electric vehicle manufacturers. Moreover, the government has not issued a policy of providing incentives for users of low-carbon vehicles. Furthermore, Firdaus feels happy and open if there is an opportunity for discussion for his party, IESR, or other organizations that have the same vision to achieve low carbon transportation in Indonesia.

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