The ‘Asean century’ for renewable energy

THE coming years could be a watershed moment for renewable energy (RE) in the Asean region. Although South-East Asia is considered a laggard in terms of RE deployment, the region is, arguably, where the most significant potential for sustainably-sourced energy lie.

The conditions for the development of RE here, particularly solar energy, could not be better. We get enough sunlight and heat to fulfil global needs for a whole year; in other words, solar radiation can satisfy our energy needs 4,000 times over, notes Matt Tan, group president of Mattan Engineering.