Every time the power bill comes your neighbour is smiling because they are on the move and the numbers are working for them. It’s no surprise that solar panel Malaysia installations have increased markedly in recent years, as this trend mirrors almost exactly an increase in the cost of energy and more readily available financing opportunities. Malaysia’s geographical location is truly blessed, situated near the equator, it has a lot of sunlight practically all year round, as there is not much difference between the amount of sunlight in Malaysia during the summer months, and in the winter months. It’s reliability that makes the investment calculations for solar so predictable and so appealing here — not weather, but physics.

Finance is in need of a straight talk. Today, the price of a home-sized system is in the range of RM15,000 to RM30,000, before incentives, and the payback period for these systems runs from 5 to 8 years, depending on electricity use and system output. Beyond that, electricity prices get almost embarrassingly low, considering the panels have a useful life of 25 years or more. Commercial operators can reap even bigger profits — a heavy equipment warehouse operating during the day is continually printing profits each sunny afternoon, and Malaysia has a lot of those!
The technology of panels has progressed with a rapid pace. In Malaysia, monocrystalline panels have become the market leader due to their high efficiency, as they are able to achieve conversion rates of 20-22 percent, a significant factor when considering the total system capacity on a roof, which must depend on the amount of space available. Hybrids are also starting to become popular, with the ability to store power generated during the day for use at night, and battery storage systems are also being adopted, which is truly a practical upgrade given that battery costs are also reducing year on year.
The selection of the right installer is as important as the selection of the right panels. But when considering hiring an outlier, SEDA-registered contractors offer accountability that unregistered contractors just don’t. A completed project references should never be taken for granted before signing a contract with any contractor. Inquire about monitoring, guarantees of performance and what will happen if output is less than expected. If the solar market is anything to go by, the ones who come well informed with their questions will get answers that are equally cutting and to the point from the good solar installers, and that’s a testament to who they’re and who you should be doing business with.





















