Research Database

In this paper, we conclude that Indonesia has vast potential for generating and balancing solar photovoltaic (PV) energy to meet future energy needs at a competitive cost. We systematically analyse renewable energy potential in Indonesia. Solar PV is identified to be an energy source whose technical, environmental and economic potential far exceeds Indonesia’s present and future energy requirements and is far larger than all other renewable energy resources combined. We estimate that electricity consumption in Indonesia could reach 9000 terawatt-hours per year by 2050, which is 30 times larger than at present. Indonesia has abundant space to deploy enough solar to meet this requirement, including on rooftops, inland reservoirs, mining wasteland, and in combination with agriculture. Importantly, Indonesia has a vast maritime area that almost never experiences strong winds or large waves that could host floating solar capable of generating >200,000 terawatt-hours per year. Indonesia also has far more off-river pumped hydro energy storage potential than required for balancing solar generation.

The global average sea level is rising at a rate of 3.2 mm per year according to recent observations of the IPCC. One of the main factors in sea level rise is thermal expansion, where greenhouse gases, especially CO2, accumulate and generate heat (climate change), thereby melting glaciers in the polar regions. Two villages in Kampung Bungin Bekasi, Indonesia, have already been experiencing flooding. Climate change can be addressed by environmental conservation and utilization of renewable energy to reduce CO2 production. Environmental conservation can be conducted by planting mangroves, while renewable energy is achieved by using natural renewable resources. Planting 10,000 mangrove seeds through citizen participation and by researchers from the University of Indonesia could create a new coastal ecosystem, which could prevent abrasion and become the habitat of sea biota. Renewable energy based on wind power and solar cell such as wind turbines and photovoltaics (PV) has been installed and used for streetlights, mosque lamps, and freezers. The wind turbine used in this study is made from wood, which is easy to obtain, and is designed to be compatible with the characteristics of Bungin Village, with a capacity of 500 Wp per unit. The total capacity of PV is 1800 Wp, which includes 720 Wp floating PV capacity and 1080 Wp PV monocrystalline capacity. Floating technology is chosen because the coastal areas have limited available land and the soil condition (sand) is inappropriate as a foundation for PV. The installed renewable energy is integrated and completed with a battery system and online monitoring to monitor the site in real time anytime and anywhere.