Renewable Energy Becomes the Foundation

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO (WAK)

Umbu Hinggu Panpromist checks the floodgates of the Mbakuhau Micro-hydro Power Plant (PLTMH) in Kamanggih Village, Kahaungu Eti District, East Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Tuesday (2/2/2021).

The population explosion has an impact on increasing demand for world energy, including Indonesia. The abundant potential for new and renewable energy is the foundation for the future.

The continuous increase in population and consistent economic growth increases the world's energy demands. As countries commit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the use of renewable energy is a must. The choice of the type of renewable energy must be in line with the availability and needs of each country.

Indonesia is included in the group of countries with the world's largest economies, the Group of 20. With a per capita income per year of only US$4,000 or Rp 60 million at an exchange rate of Rp 15,000 per US dollar, Indonesia is still in the group of middle-income countries along with India.

In order to get out of the middle-income country trap, Indonesia must boost economic growth in order to increase per capita income by at least $12,000 or Rp 180 million per year in 2045. This effort can only be done by encouraging the growth of innovation-based industries.

As fossil energy reserves decrease, dependence on fossil energy must be reduced and the use of renewable energy must be encouraged.

Large industries need strong, reliable and stable energy supplies. So far, the industry has relied on fossil energy supplies, especially coal, which is not environmentally friendly. As fossil energy reserves decrease, dependence on fossil energy must be reduced and the use of renewable energy must be encouraged.

In the next two or three decades, the role of fossil energy will still be dominant, even though the portion will decrease. "Coal will still be used in the future, but its use will be cleaner, such as using liquid coal," said a member of the Stakeholder of the National Energy Council, Agus Puji Prasetyono, Monday (21/11/2022).

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Dozens of windmills drive turbines at the wind power plant laboratory in Mangunharjo, Tugu District, Semarang City, Central Java, Tuesday (11/24/2020).

In addition to industrial demands and driving the economy, energy needs are getting bigger as the population grows.

When the world's population reached 8 billion people on 15 Nov. 2022, Indonesia's population as of August 2022 has reached 275 million people. Most of the population is of productive age, so their energy needs are also large.

In fact, the energy consumption of the Indonesian people in 2020 was only 1.1 megawatts per hour (MWH) per capita per year. Compared to developed countries, people's energy consumption is very low. If people's income increases three times in 100 years after Indonesia's independence, energy demand is predicted to increase three times to 3 MWh.

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Assuming a stable fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman of childbearing age from 2020, Indonesia's population in 2045 is estimated at 319 million people. That has the opportunity to change, considering the fertility rate in 2017 was 2.4 children and in 2020 it was estimated to 2.2 children.

According to potential

The magnitude of the energy demand, according to the head of the Center for Sustainable Energy Research at the Surabaya Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) who is also an ITS chemical engineering professor, Tri Widjaja, makes it necessary to optimally utilize all potential renewable energy. The government needs to guarantee the energy needs of citizens according to the character and potential of their area.

For residents in remote, frontier and outermost areas, the use of solar energy can be optimized. However, this requires the readiness of residents to be able to maintain solar panels and power storage batteries. Government solar panel assistance is often in vain because the batteries are lost or damaged.

Now, a number of houses in the city are installing solar panels to reduce the supply of electricity from PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara.

Solar energy can also be used by urban residents to meet household consumption needs or for street lighting. Now, a number of houses in the city are installing solar panels to reduce the supply of electricity from PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara.

Solar energy can also be used by urban residents to meet household consumption needs or for street lighting. Now, a number of houses in the city are installing solar panels to reduce the supply of electricity from state company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara.

For rural communities, the use of biogas and biomass needs to be encouraged. This type of energy is environmentally friendly and reduces villagers' energy spending. Now, the use of biogas in rural areas is for cooking and some of it is converted into electrical and heat energy.

According to Tri Widjaja, the utilization of biomass for a mixture of PLN's coal generators is running. As much as 10-20 percent of coal needs in some power plants are substituted by biomass in the form of kaliandra and lamtoro wood or empty oil palm bunches. Biomass can also be used as hydrogen fuel even though the fermentation process is long.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Officers check solar panels at the 600 KWP Solar Power Plant (PLTS) on Gili Trawangan, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Thursday (29/3/2018).

For transportation, the use of electric vehicles is the future choice. However, the use of electric vehicles must be accompanied by the development of the ecosystem. One of the complaints of electric vehicle users is the limited public electric vehicle charging stations. This should encourage innovation to make battery life better.

However, Agus added, it is difficult to use solar energy to support the industry. As an archipelagic country, cloud cover in Indonesia is high. So, the effective time of catching sunlight is around 4-5 hours per day.

Wind energy is also difficult to rely on. The character of the wind in Indonesia is different from countries with four seasons where the wind has a high speed and a stable direction. The strength of the wind in Indonesia is much weaker and its direction changes quickly.

"For Indonesia, renewable energy that has reliable, strong and stable supplies to support industrial needs and economic growth is geothermal, water and nuclear," said Agus.

Of the three types of renewable energy to support the economy and industry, nuclear is considered to be the strongest choice. "But there is fear and low trust among the people in the ability of their own nation to manage nuclear plants," he said.

Meanwhile, for water energy, the greatest potential in Indonesia is in the Kayan River, North Kalimantan, and Mamberamo River, Papua. This energy source is far from industrial centers and the biggest source of electricity demand in Java. The water catchment area is shrinking as land use changes.

KOMPAS/ALIF ICHWAN

The government encourages the industrial world and the central and local governments to take advantage of the roofs of their buildings and buildings by installing Solar Power Plants (PLTS) on them.

All choices are in the government and society. The government is obliged to guarantee the supplies of energy for the public and industry in a sustainable manner. Society also needs to build a culture of energy saving.

(This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo)