Yogyakarta – the need of electricity is a basic requirement for the community. However, the occurrence of blackouts often makes society uncomfortable. One mostly affected is the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (UKM).
Starting from seeing his friend’s business feeling hassles during the rotating electrical power outages, inspired five students of Electrical Engineering University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) to conduct research on the utilization of solar energy.
The five students were Ilham Lutfil Anam, Adi wahyudianto, Afief Amrullah, M. Sholeh Masnawan, and Fikri Ali Nawawi. They conducted a research on 'Implementation Solarcell Home Energy System as the Secondary and reserves to increase the Production Process of Micro Small Medium Enterprises (UKM)'.
According to one of the students, Ilham Lutfil Anam due to blackouts rolling in various regions in Indonesia it made number of UKM lost their business. "The blackouts are making a number of UKM productivity losses due to the decrease of their production," he added when met at the UMY Campus (4/8).
In addition to rolling blackouts, other problems experienced by UKM according to Ilham was the peak load at night to make the UKM actors couldn’t work. "The pressure peaks at night to make the UKM actors unable to do overtime work. Therefore we need an alternative energy for the UKM. So they can keep working when the electricity is being impaired or in the process of improvement. "He added.
Ilham and four friends then tried to make alternative energy by utilizing energy from sunlight. "We then make Solarcell Home System (SHS) or Small-Scale Solar Power System. We collaborate or mix electrical performance of the State Electricity Company (PLN) with electricity from SHS so that when UMKM is subjected to blackouts they can still work," he explained.
Further, Ilham explained how the device works that it started with the installation of such a device, where the sun would be captured by solar panels. Then, the light energy was absorbed by the Solar Charge regulator (SCR) and then stored into the batteries. In addition, when the electricity shut off the Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) or its auto ignition automatically works.
"So the electricity that comes from the batteries and through the SCR will flow into the inverter which functions to convert DC into AC voltage passing to replace the electricity from PLN. The move does not take long. Just as when using a generator set (genset) that still takes time to turn on electricity," said Ilham.
Another student, Fikri Ali Nawawi added that many advantages would be gained in using the solar electricity. "The potential of solar radiation in Indonesia is quite high and evenly easy for the utilization. In addition, SHS also does not require fuel and environmentally friendly because it is free of air and noise pollution," he said.
Associated with its maintenance, the tool had an easy care and simple maintenance as in the process there were no moving parts.
Their work had been tested on one of UKM convection in Central Java. "Our equipment had been tested on one of the UKM convection and was successful. They were also satisfied with our work," said Ilham.
They hoped their work could be used by UKM. So they did not experience much loss in power disruptions. "The UKM actors can still produce so that they do not lose." He said.
(trans by hm-uhamka)