On the Potential of Solar Energy for Hospitals in Malaysia

The healthcare sector, or more specifically the hospitals are a maj or contributor to carbon emissions worldwide, including Malaysia. With the launch of the National Energy Transition Roadmap, the push for integration of renewable energy such as solar will only grow stronger in Malaysia. Hence, this study investigates the potential of solar energy as well as the challenges that may be encountered when implementing solar energy systems in hospitals in Malaysia. The necessary information on 19 hospitals will first be consolidated. Then, the total solar energy which can be produced from the available rooftop space of each hospital will be estimated. Next, the typical energy consumption level of the hospitals will be approximated based on the Building Energy Index approach. It was found that 2 hospitals can fully rely on solar energy to meet their energy demand. Another 17 hospitals can expect up to an average of 53.95% of reduction in their energy bills. All in all, about RM 37 million could be saved in terms of electricity charges if the aforementioned hospitals fully optimized their available space for solar energy generation. Hospitals in Malaysia should consider fully adopting solar energy systems to promote sustainability and reduce carbon emissions. It is also recommended that the government should provide incentives to hospitals that are interested in implementing solar energy systems to encourage adoption and overcome the main challenge of high initial investment costs.