To mark the World Environment Day yesterday, the Legislative Yuan began construction of a rooftop solar system on one of its annexes as part of its efforts to promote an “energy transition” to make all public buildings and schools “green.”
The building on Zhengjiang Street in Taipei is being fitted with a 99 kilowatt solar system, which will be enough to power it, Legislative Yuan Secretary-General Lin Chih-chia (林志嘉) said.
The system, which is expected to be completed by November, will be able to generate 100,000 units of electricity and reduce carbon emission by 53 tonnes per year, which is equivalent to planting 2,944 trees, or half of the number of trees in Daan Forest Park, Lin said.
Photo: CNA
“The torrential rain and landslides Taiwan experienced over the weekend is an indication of the ever-increasing threat of climate change. The Legislative Yuan wants to take the lead in conserving energy and reducing carbon emissions,” Lin said.
Much of the Legislative Yuan will still have to rely on electricity generated by fossil fuels because it is housed in a historic building where construction is forbidden, said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Man-li (陳曼麗), director of the legislature’s Association for Sustainable Development.
The Zhengjiang building is not a historic structure, and larger-scale solar installations will be erected on the legislature’s other non-historic buildings if the Zhengjiang effort is a success, Chen said.
“We expect that after we have made this first move, the development of solar energy would be smooth. The close proximity of solar power systems to people’s daily life can make people understand more about green energy,” Chen said.
DPP Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) said the government has announced goals to phase out nuclear power and raise the nation’s sources of renewable energy to 20 percent by 2025, so installing solar power systems on public buildings and campuses would be a major step toward achieving those goals.
Contractor J&V Energy Technology Co said the solar system would cost about NT$5 million (US$166,168) to install, but could save about NT$300,000 in electricity costs per year.
J&V hopes that the legislature’s installation will lead to the massive conversion of other government and public buildings, chairman Johnny Chang (張建偉) said.
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