German technology company, Bosch has recently announced the completion of one of the largest rooftop photovoltaic system installation in Malaysia on its automotive electronics plant in Penang. This is in line with the company’s long-term carbon neutral strategy.
With the latest completion of the 3MWp solar panel installation in collaboration with solar energy provider Blueleaf Energy, the additional 4,500MWh energy generated is estimated to reduce 3,000 tons of carbon dioxide emission a year. This translates to significant environmental contributions from the plant, equivalent to 1,300 Malaysian households’ yearly energy consumption or 700 cars driven annually.
Tapping on Bosch’s pursuit of clean renewable energy, Bosch dedicated a rooftop area of 24,500 m2 for 7,500 solar panels where Blueleaf Energy was engaged to design and deliver the solar plant and will own and and manage the photovoltaic asset. Greencells Energy Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of the German Greencells Group which is a major player in future-proof green energy, also participated in the project as the Engineering, Planning and Construction (EPC) contractor.
The system is planned and operated under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) on a self-consumption basis and creates the opportunity to export excess energy back to the grid. To date, Bosch’s installation in its automotive electronics plant is the largest solar system in Penang under the Net Energy Metering (NEM) scheme.
“Bosch has been taking progressive actions towards carbon neutrality. We continue to push ahead with the installation of the photovoltaic system in Malaysia due to its high solar irradiance throughout the year. We are pleased to achieve this milestone in our climate action despite the lockdowns, travel restrictions and several unprecedented challenges brought on by the pandemic,” said Dr. Siegfried Skirl, Bosch’s Automotive Electronics Plant Technical Managing Director in Malaysia, adding that 18 percent of the plant’s energy consumption harness the sun.
This is the second solar panel installation of the Bosch site. In 2012, Bosch installed 2,300 Bosch photovoltaic modules, which reduced 460 tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to the emission of 107 cars.
Besides the solar panel installation, a series of additional projects in line with Bosch’s carbon neutrality strategy to increase energy efficiency were implemented in stages across its locations within the country such as chiller optimization, compressor upgrade, and replacement of LED lights.
In view of the increased challenges faced from climate change, Bosch sets itself an ambitious target in relation to climate protection. In 2020, Bosch aims to make emission in its direct sphere of influence (scope 1 and 2) carbon neutral worldwide. By 2030, Bosch targets to save 1.7 TWh of energy and generate 400 GWh of its energy needs from renewable resources. In order to support the measures financially as well, the board of management of Bosch has approved an additional annual budget of 100 million euros for the period 2018 through 2030.
