By WONG PEK MEI pekmei@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: The Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre in Cheras is close to achieving its aim of becoming Malaysia’s first “green hospital”.
The installation of the country’s first large scale solar-assisting hot water heating system at the hospital is 70% complete.
The concrete construction and foundation of the project had been done and the hospital was only waiting for funds from the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to proceed to the next stage.
The funds will be used to purchase and fix 1,750 evacuated tube solar collectors to supply hot water to 1,000 beds at the hospital
While the evacuated tube solar collectors absorb the sunlight, water supply passing through these collectors will be heated up and the hot water routed to the necessary areas for use.
Among other purposes, the hot water will be used for washing and bathing at the hospital.
Unused hot water during the day will be kept in a storage system for continuous use at night.
The system is expected to be completely installed by the end of the year.
UKM Solar Energy Research Institute director Prof Dr Kamaruzzaman Sopian told The Star yesterday that liquefied petroleum gas would be used as a back-up to heat the water.
On March 16, The Star reported the system is also the brainchild of UKM Medical Centre dean and director Prof Datuk Dr Lokman Saim and deputy dean of development Prof Dr Syed Zulkifli Syed Zakaria.
The three together with industrial collaborator Khalid Mokhtar, of Zamatel Sdn Bhd, were given a grant from the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to create the system, which will be able to save over 40% of the hospital’s LPG bill.
He said the hospital management would be taking a holistic approach to enhance the ‘green hospital’ concept by improving water conservation, indoor air quality and use of sustainable materials for the well-being of patients and employees.
