SANDAKAN: The Duchess of Kent Hospital (HDOK) here is the first hospital in South East Asia to utilise solar energy to support part of its electricity consumption, said Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong.

Chong said HDOK had installed a total of 140 solar tubes at the hospital and it had managed to save up to 50 percent of its electricity usage for air conditioning.

“HDOK has been utilising the solar tubes to generate electricity since 2017. Before the solar tubes were installed, HDOK was using three centralised ventilation systems for its air conditioning for the past 23 years.

“However, the solar tubes have now completely replaced one out of the three centralised ventilation systems in supplying electricity for air conditioning at the hospital,” Chong said, adding that electricity would be generated once the temperature at the solar tubes reaches 75 degree celcius and above.

Chong said this after a briefing session by Sedafiat Sdn Bhd, HDOK’s solar tube supplier, represented by its facility manager Rosly Shaflie at HDOK here recently.

The briefing session was initiated by Sedafiat Sdn Bhd to let Chong have a better insight and understanding on the quality, cost and effectiveness of the solar green energy utilised by HDOK.

“In this case here, green energy not only helps the hospital to reduce electricity cost, it would also contribute in lowering power interruption in Sandakan due to low electricity supply.

“I also strongly encourage the use of green energy such as solar, biomass, biogas, wind and waste to generate electricity amongst the local community, especially big scale industrial factories. With the new government now, we encourage green energy because it would save cost on energy generation and it would also benefit the Rakyat,” Chong said.