energy produced by the system to be sold to the
electricity grid network.
b) System with a modular concept
The remoteness of the school and the access
conditions to the area in which it is located
created challenges and risks, especially in terms
of delivering equipment and components. To ease
this risk, the system was designed with a modular
concept. The solar PV system and structure
were designed and manufactured with a system
capacity of 10 kW, 15 kW and 20 kW per structure.
For example, a 30 kWp solar PV system consists
of two solar PV structures, each of 15 kWp. This
characteristic eased the delivery process and
made the manufacturing process quicker.
Figure 7. (top) Teachers’ quarters at SK Sungai-
Sungai, Beluran, (center) school buildings at SK
Luasong, Taway and (bottom) classroom at SK
Pangas, Keningau.
characteristics to ensure the system is technically
reliable and durable as well as benefits end users.
Several criteria and characteristics of the system
design are defined as follows:-.
a) Future electricity grid network
Some rural areas in Malaysia may be connected
to the electricity service by the grid network in the
near future. Thus, the system is designed with
the capacity to be integrated into the electricity
network by the grid, should the service be made
available in the future. This approach guarantees
that the system components can be used for the
whole of their lifetime and enable the electrical
c) Elevated solar PV structure and powerhouse
The solar PV structure was built at a minimum
height of 4 m from the ground for several reasons.
Much of the school has a limited area and the land
is sometimes shared with the community. As the
only available space is the school playing field,
using the field for the solar PV system restricts the
school’s activities. Therefore, the elevated solar PV
structure allows the space under the structure to
be used for school activities as shown in Figure 8.
Some of the schools are located near rivers.
In the rainy season, which takes place from
November to February each year, the areas are
prone to flooding. Raising the solar PV structure
and the powerhouse ought to prevent damage to
the system components, as shown in Figure 9.
Furthermore, raising the solar PV structure
higher than ground level helps to prevent
vandalism, which could damage the solar PV
modules.
d) Rain water harvesting system
Malaysia has achieved the Millennium
Development Goal (MDG) to provide half of
its population with access to water supply and
improved sanitation [9]. However, some areas are
still having difficulties accessing the water supply
especially in Sabah and Sarawak. In line with the
aim by the GoM, the design of the solar PV system
facilitates water supply to the schools. A roofing
system was built beneath the solar PV array to
collect rain water which is stored in a water tank
as shown in Figure 10.
55