Enemalta chairman calls for more alternative energy incentives

Enemalta has started using 20 photovoltaic panels on the roof of its Qawra office.

The panels, at a capital expenditure of Lm7,000, are forecast to produce 7,000kw hours of electricity a year. They have been in place for a month and follow the installation of similar panels on the roof of Enemalta's Sliema office.

Corporation chairman Alex Tranter said yesterday the Qawra panels were somewhat bigger than those at Sliema and would cover the requirements of a household of four persons equipped with an air conditioner.

As the sole producer of commercial electricity in Malta, Enemalta was taking small initiatives in favour of alternative energy, Mr Tranter said.

And it was not just installing panels on district offices to become self sufficient on alternative energy but, it was also communicating with the public the results being achieved from using the panels.

Enemalta had a number of monitoring devices and was checking wind speed and ambient temperature daily, registering the results on its website.

Unexpectedly, it found that the panels were mostly efficient not in the hot summer months but in May/June and, possibly, the end of September and October.

Through the energy being saved, Enemalta was calculating that it was reducing about 10,000 kilogrammes of CO2 emissions between its Sliema and Qawra offices.

Mr Tranter said the expense entailed the setting up of photovoltaic panels could put individuals off from installing them at home especially as they paid for themselves only after about 15 years. The government, he said, had already given some incentives which had encouraged a big take-up of solar panels but such incentives should be strengthened to encourage more use of alternative sources of energy.

Enemalta will be launching an electric car next week and will soon also be unveiling an initiative at Marfa based on wind energy.