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Malaysia is one of the leading producers and exporters of oil palm, and the industry contributes significantly to the growth of the national economy. Nonetheless, the consequential oil palm biomass (OPB) with a potential yield of ∼97 million tonnes annually presents both challenges and opportunities, demanding innovative waste management solutions. This paper explores the feasibility of converting OPB into valuable commodities by employing concentrated solar-driven pyrolysis. A detailed overview of the biomass produced from oil palm plantations and mills is provided, along with a discussion of the industry stakeholders and associated biomass management challenges. The pyrolysis of OPB is explored, emphasizing benefits, potential barriers, and techniques. The focus then shifts to Malaysia's solar potential, which ranges from 1470 to 1900 kWh/m2 annually. The potentials of solar pyrolysis are explored, encompassing discussions on solar concentrator types, reactors, and the distribution of solar and OPB resources throughout Malaysia. The paper then recommends Tawau in Sabah, as an ideal location for OPB solar pyrolysis, due to its solar availability (up to 1873 kWh/m2), potential OPB resources from 19 mills and 241 plantations, and supportive infrastructure. The paper proposes solar-driven pyrolysis as a sustainable solution for Malaysia's OPB management, offers insights for policy initiatives and technological innovations in optimizing OPB and solar energy utilization. • Analyzes oil palm biomass potential for solar pyrolysis in Malaysia. • Explores solar resources in Malaysia for solar-driven pyrolysis. • Examines solar concentrators and reactors for pyrolysis. • Identifies potential city, as the optimal location for solar pyrolysis. • Discusses commercialization challenges of solar-driven pyrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global depletion of fossil fuels, growing awareness on the effects of carbon emissions and greenhouse gases and, the need for renewable energy, has increased the attention towards biocoke research and active engagement with various research groups and industrial players. Biocoke production and utilisation is crucial as it contributes to the efficient management of agricultural residue and municipal solid waste. The technologies involved in the biocoke production and the viability of Malaysia's agricultural waste as a feedstock was described in this paper. In addition, the paper provided background information about the biocoke characteristics and the feedstocks that dictate quality. Comparisons of commercial coal coke and biocoke production technologies that may be applicable to Malaysia were also addressed. Moreover, the paper demonstrated the challenges towards Malaysia's biocoke commercialisation despite its viability from biomass feedstocks characteristics, availability, and evidence of calorific value estimations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing in oil consumption and ridiculous prices has caused the urgency for the main global oil industry players to search new alternative fuels which is biofuels. Biodiesel is better option to replace the crude oil due to its similar characteristics and sustainable. This paper will review the biodiesel produced and implementation from palm oil in Malaysia and current engine research that related to palm oil. Precedency given to the palm oil as it is main raw stock for biodiesel produced in Malaysia. Among scopes of this paper are to discuss current issues related to the palm biodiesel production and specific use in diesel engines. Another issue that arisen for Malaysia is to promote the palm oil as the alternative fuel that meets the stringent regulations and standards in Europe and North America. This paper also briefly covers the continuous global biodiesel consumption trend including the constraints that faced by Malaysia for leading the global biodiesel market with the benefits and drawbacks of palm oil biodiesel as an alternate fuel compared to the other common biodiesel sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate long-run relationship between economic growth and disaggregated energy consumption in Malaysia. Toda-Yamamoto (T-Y), the modified Granger causality test, along with annual disaggregated energy and real GDP growth data from 1971 to 2014 was used in the investigation process. This paper presents several outcomes; firstly, this paper argues that the Malaysian economy is energy dependent and sensitive to energy supply shocks. Secondly, the usage of energy inputs in Malaysian economy is found to be consumed inefficiently meaning that usage of higher energy resources does not contribute the economic growth significantly, rather causes environmental pollution badly. Thirdly, the finding indicates that economic growth and environmental pollution through spreading carbon emissions are responsive to each other. In this circumstance, the Malaysian economy has to find a way to consume the energy inputs efficiently so that economic growth is improved, while negative externality in the environment is reduced. Therefore, the study presents significant policy implications in order to improve the energy efficiency and reduce environmental pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)/Electric vehicles (EVs) have recently been re-established in the transportation sector worldwide. These are enhancements over their ancestors in terms of both performance and electric driving range. Although the uptake of PHEV/EVs has been noteworthy in a short time frame amongst most governmental strategies, however, adoption is still a challenge. To date, public attitudes towards PHEV/EVs have been considered under very diverse conceptual frameworks. This paper reviews a growing body of peer- reviewed literatures assessing the factors affecting PHEV/EVs adoption. Malaysia is a major energy consuming country and, given the rapid growth in its economy, the energy consumption level is expected to continue growth. Hence, it is imperative that steps are taken to reduce harmful carbon emissions. Consequently, attempts are being initiated to popularise the use of PHEV/EVs as the main mode of transportation. However, it is important to take the three main features of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) model, namely the attitude towards the PHEV/EVs' adoption, Subjective Norm (SN), and Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC) into account. The consumers' concerns regarding the harmful effect of carbon emissions should be addressed. In this paper, the significance of encouraging the adoption of PHEVs/EVs is explained and some guidelines that might be followed in the upcoming researchers are mentioned. Furthermore, the implications for the design of effective measures to change the frail social and personal norms to choose PHEVs/EVs are also discussed. The collective outcome of 'hyperbolic discounting' has a direct effect between the consumers' environmental concern-based intention and the actual adoption of PHEVs/EVs. Hence, this paper is aimed to conceptualise a framework created by amending the environmental concerns towards PHEVs/EVs. This will allow more academic consideration, and it may direct future researchers towards the empirical findings on environmental concerns and hyperbolic discounting through the proposed conceptual framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Automobiles are considered as the main energy consumer in the transportation sector. According to the National Energy Balance, its accounted for about 36% of the total energy consumption in Malaysia. In order to reduce energy consumption in this sector, this country must consider setting fuel economy standards for motor vehicles sometime in near future. The first step toward developing fuel economy standards is to create a precise test and rating procedure for the automobiles. The test procedure is the technical foundation for all related programs namely; fuel economy standards, fuel economy labels and incentive programs. The test conditions should represent the driving situations and environment of the country. This paper is attempts to present a critical review on fuel economy testing procedure around the world and to propose a process for selecting a fuel economy test procedure for automobiles based on the conditions and requirements of the country. The internationally recognize test procedure adopted by several countries is also presented in this paper. Even though the paper only discusses the test procedure for automobiles, the methods can be directly applied for other types of vehicles and in other countries without major modifications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Oil palm is one of the major economic crops in many countries. Malaysia alone produces about 47% of the world''s palm oil supply and can be considered as the world''s largest producer and exporter of palm oil. Malaysia also generates huge quantity of oil palm biomass including oil palm trunks, oil palm fronds, empty fruit bunches (EFB), shells and fibers as waste from palm oil fruit harvest and oil extraction processing. At present there is a continuously increasing interest in the utilization of oil palm biomass as a source of clean energy. One of the major interests is hydrogen from oil palm biomass. Hydrogen from biomass is a clean and efficient energy source and is expected to take a significant role in future energy demand due to the raw material availability. This paper presents a review which focuses on different types of thermo-chemical processes for conversion of oil palm biomass to hydrogen rich gas. This paper offers a concise and up-to-date scenario of the present status of oil palm industry in contributing towards sustainable and renewable energy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The limited availability of fossil energy carriers and environmental impact of energy consumption demand mid- and long-term strategies both for the rational use of energy and for increased renewable energy utilization. Despite the establishment of the National Energy Policy, there is still an obstacle in reaching those objectives and targets. In the 7th Malaysia Plan for instance, the government has highlighted that a third of the Government''s total allocation of RM469 million for rural electrification programmes under the has been allocated for the provision of solar powered installations for rural and remote communities. This paper outlines a detailed description of various existing solar technologies, the understanding of each technology and its associated challenges, which will provide a suitable basis to recognize advantages and drawbacks in its implementation in Malaysia. The paper finally justifies some of the barriers in promoting the full scale utilization for the solar energy in Malaysia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Malaysia's framework for energy development was established in the early 1970s. Henceforth, many successive policies were introduced as potential resources for electricity generation and utilization. Currently, as a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Malaysia is sparing a number of effort to comply with the policy to meet the challenges of mitigating over-dependence on fossil fuels, reducing carbon levels, and achieving sustainable national development. This paper reviews the baseline studies on electrical energy policies and the measurement indicators used in Malaysia's electric power system. This research involves a comprehensive survey of electrical energy policies in Malaysia that focus on issues pertaining to energy supply, utilization, its environmental impact and considerations, renewable energy (RE) policies, production and consumption, energy efficiency, and feed-in tariffs. Fourteen energy indicators for sustainable development in Malaysia were investigated through the identification of energy policies in significant areas, such as reliability, safety, adequacy and cost-effectiveness of energy supply; increasing energy efficiency; minimizing environmental impact; and enhancing quality of life in terms of social well-being. The policies and the indicators are classified into different sustainable dimensions and summarized in tables along with the corresponding key references. In this study, future energy planning and options, especially in nuclear and RE programs, as well as the conflict between them, are illustrated through the overall performance relative to targets and benchmarks for past and future projections up to the year 2030. This review seeks to examine the past, present, and future policies and indicators to provide a sufficient overview of Malaysian energy policies for optimizing sustainable development. The goal is for this review to lead to increased efforts to accommodate the increasing demand for the management and utilization of RE, promote energy efficiency, and improve performance in achieving sustainable national development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the Malaysian government has attempted to develop renewable energy (RE) through newly introduced regulatory supports after 30 years of failure to achieve a greater than one percent non-hydroelectric RE share in the total power mix. The government is currently assessing the onshore wind energy potential in Malaysia to determine the possibility of including wind energy in its FiT scheme. However, wind energy development in this low-energy location is not as straightforward as it would seem. Many previous wind studies in Malaysia have relied on poor data and simplistic or inadequate methodologies, resulting in grossly inaccurate estimates of wind potential. Moreover, two wind turbine generator demonstration projects executed by the government have failed. However, above all, the greatest factor impairing the progress of RE development in Malaysia is the weak and uncertain political support of these efforts. This lack of robust support is particularly true where fossil fuels are still heavily subsidised amid the subsidy reform in 2013. A review of global wind energy development shows that successful projects depend heavily on a sound and robust regulatory framework supported by strong and consistent political will. This dependence is not observed in Malaysia, where the government continues to subsidise private independent fossil fuel power producers but levies taxes on electricity consumers to fund RE development. These levies do not effectively support RE development, given the magnitude of the RE fund compared to fossil fuel subsidies. In the absence of strong and sincere political will, the progress of RE development in Malaysia has been notably slow. As a result, the prospect of wind energy development in Malaysia currently remains vague. This paper discusses the above issues in detail and recommends selected regulatory mechanisms based on the global experience of supporting RE development in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical energy consumption is expected to increase in Malaysia, and illumination is the second largest electric power consumption in Malaysia. Remarkably, the majority of residential illumination is carried out with incandescent lamps which consume a high level of energy in comparison with recent high efficient technologies. Light Emitting Diodes (LED) could possibly be an option to replace incandescent lamps and even fluorescent lamps (FL). This paper outlines the overview of Malaysia׳ energy sector, policy and programs; and calculate possible savings in terms of energy, costs and environmental emissions by using LED lamps in Malaysia. Despite the capital cost of energy-efficient LED lamps, the use of LEDs might make economic sense for households due to the reduction in operational energy (OE) in certain stage. By replacement of incandescent with LED, a significant reduction in annual energy use, electricity bill, CO 2 and other greenhouse gas emission in terms of lighting can be accomplished by each household in Malaysia. It is also suggested that the governments׳ financial support and regulations assist in adopting this energy-efficient technology more rapidly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) is a strategic plan focused on attaining a level of economic growth that will enable the country to attain a developed nation status by 2020. As a result of this ambitious plan, this paper aims to investigate empirically if the nexus between natural gas consumption, exports, capital and labour could provide a clue to the possibilities of reaching this target. The study applied time series data from 1971 to 2012 and used dual structural break tests. To ensure robust result, the Bayer–Hanck cointegration, Johansen cointegration and the ARDL bounds tests were applied. The findings of the study reveal that economic growth does not Granger cause natural gas consumption in Malaysia. However, the results show that capital and export contribute 29.18% and 41.46% to the country׳s GDP after 20.04% and 42.29% of natural gas consumption respectively. Also it suggests that natural gas consumption has an indirect effect to the Malaysian economic growth wherewithal. Labour was on the other hand, found to have a minimal contribution to GDP. The study proposes the efficient exploitation of natural gas reserves of the country, a concerted effort to develop the labour force and ensure a realistic time for the plan among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of urbanization on energy consumption by applying the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology (STIRPAT) in case of Malaysia. The study covers the time period of 1970Q1–2011Q4. The unit root test and the ARDL bounds testing approach have been applied to examine integrating properties and long run relationship in the presence of structural breaks. Our results validated the existence of cointegration and exposed that urbanization is a major contributor in energy consumption. Affluence raises energy demand. Capital stock boosts energy consumption. Trade openness leads to affluence and hence increases energy consumption. The causality analysis finds that urbanization Granger causes energy consumption. The feedback effect is found between energy consumption and affluence and, energy consumption and capital. The bidirectional causality exists between trade openness and energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to reinvestigate the relationship between natural gas consumption and economic growth by including foreign direct investment, capital and trade openness in Malaysia for the period of 1971–2012. The structural break unit root test is employed to investigate the stationary properties of the series. We have applied combined cointegration test to examine the relationship between the variables in the long run. For robustness sake, the ARDL bounds testing method is also employed to test for a possible long run relationship in the presence of structural breaks. We note the validity of cointegration between the variables. Natural gas consumption, foreign direct investment, capital formation and trade openness have positive influence on economic growth in Malaysia. The results support the presence of feedback hypothesis between natural gas consumption and economic growth, foreign direct investment and economic growth, and natural gas consumption and foreign direct investment. The policy implications of these results are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, global energy consumers are addicted to fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil and coal. Although it has been anticipated that fossil fuels will be depleted soon, these fuels are still dominant as the primary source of energy in the world. Recently, many efforts have been done to substitute renewable alternative fuels to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Biomass as one of the earliest energy sources appears to be the most promising renewable energy source due to its numerous resources and its environmentally sound characteristics. Since Malaysia is agriculture based tropical country, many crops such as palm, paddy rice and sugarcane are cultivated in this region. Malaysian palm oil industry generate huge amounts of palm solid residue (PSR) biomass such as empty fruit bunches (EFB), palm fiber, shell, trunks and fronds as byproducts which are capable to be taken into account in the energy mix of the country. In this paper, an overview of the PSR generation from Malaysian palm oil industries and its social and economic effects has been given. Indeed, performance of the direct combustion of PSR in terms of PSR composition, properties, heating value, emissions and its effects on the equipment or the components of the boilers have been reviewed. It has been found that the very high moisture content of PSR of palm industry makes their collection and transportation expensive, therefore energy conversion process could be inefficient and utilization of these materials inside the palm oil mills seems more beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to examine whether energy consumption in Malaysia, disaggregated by sector and type, is stationary or contains a unit root. To realize our objective we apply the Lagrange multiplier (LM) family of unit root tests with up to two structural breaks. Depending on the decision rule for selecting between results in the no-break, one-break and two-break cases, we find that energy consumption is stationary for between 50 per cent and 70 per cent of the disaggregated energy series and between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of sectors. Implications for the Malaysian government's attempts to reduce fossil fuel consumption are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Today, an unprecedented increase in global temperature is attributed to the rising rate of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions due to human activities. Fossil fuel combustion in end-use sectors releases the majority part of GHGs. Global warming and climate changes occur due to the GHGs production and CO2 forms around 72% of total GHGs. Necessity of investigation in GHGs reduction in different countries is more highlighted when statistics illustrate that CO2 emission has raised 1.6 times in recent decades. Although, Malaysia is not listed in Annex I countries in Kyoto Protocol (KP), this developing country has taken part actively in GHG reduction under the KP programs. Rising rate of GHGs generation in Malaysia due to conspicuous progressive in industry and increasing rate of the population have convinced the government to invest in GHGs reduction through different programs. Fuel consumption optimization, alternative fuel utilization and palm trees plantation are the main strategies have taken into account by Malaysian government. This paper is an overview of the main sources of GHGs in Malaysia and aims to review the preventive proceedings that should be taken by the Malaysian government. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The need for renewable energy is a global demand due to both the economic factors and the environmental concerns. Malaysian government has been supportive on the research and development in the renewable energies. Renewable Energy Act (2011) and Sustainable Energy Development Authority Act (2011) have been enacted to boost the industry of renewable energy. This paper presents the current status and future prospects of renewable energy in Malaysia with particular focus on the ocean renewable energy. Five types of ocean renewable energy were reviewed including tidal barrage, tidal current energy, wave energy, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) and salinity gradient power. The comparison of various types of ocean renewable energy has been made to present their recent technologies in electricity generation. Tidal current energy is identified as a preferable option particularly in the Straits of Malacca. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In Malaysia, abundant agricultural wastes are generated yearly. Therefore it is beneficial to discover new ways to utilize the wastes and employ the carbon source in different industries. Biochar are produced through many heat treatments such as combustion, gasification and pyrolysis for energy generation. The characteristics of these stable carbons such as the physical properties, chemical composition, surface area and surface chemistry determine the effectiveness of the cabon in different applications. Biochar has the ability to retain carbon and this condition is advantageous to prevent the release of carbon back to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide. Application of biochar to soil helps to improve soil fertility and raise agricultural productivity. Biochar also has the ability to reduce carbon dioxide in the flue gas system. There have only been a few studies that discuss on the potential applications of this agriculture waste. The biochar''s potential application as carbon sequester for soil application, energy production and dye sorption is being explored in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a quantitative analysis of a low carbon society outlook for Malaysia to 2035. Findings in the Reference scenario, where current policies are extended throughout the projection period, depict an unsustainable development given an increasing spending on fossil fuels energy imports for coal in particular, and for oil and gas in the near future. While the use of fossil fuels is projected to rise, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will be increasing accordingly. An alternative scenario which promotes the introduction of Advanced Technologies demonstrates how a more extensive use of renewable energy sources and the promotion of energy efficiency across all sectors could effectively address an over reliance on fossil fuels while reducing CO2 emissions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Electricity demand in residential and commercial sectors has increased steadily over the past 50 years in Malaysia. The bulk of which is being consumed by air conditioning systems. Absorption cooling systems can be a reasonable alternative to have conditioned spaces in the country. The fuel consumption to produce electricity for cooling purposes in residential and commercial sectors has been forecasted from 2012 to 2025. The paper also investigates the effect of applying five different scenarios on energy and fuel consumption by retrofitting absorption chillers instead of conventional cooling systems. This study found that the consumption of natural gas will be raised by increase in utilized absorption chillers however, the consumption of different fuels such as coal, diesel and fuel oil will decrease in thermal power plants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The road transport and particularly the passenger cars are responsible for increasing the share of transport energy consumption and harmful emissions level growth. The fuel economy label is an informative tool to influence customers and manufacturers to put special care to the energy efficiency issue. The implementation of fuel economy label for motor vehicles in Malaysia will prevent the up going trend of petroleum consumption which will be beneficial to consumer and society. As a consequence, the harmful greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are the main causes of the global warming and air pollution will be reduced. Studies in developed countries show that implementing the fuel economy label is beneficial for society, government and the environment. This paper focused on a review of international experiences on fuel economy label. It also attempts to discuss about the energy savings possibilities that lead to reduce GHG emissions by implementing the program. The last but not least recommendation is the fact that the sooner the fuel economy label applies for the passenger cars in Malaysia will be more beneficial for the country. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Transportation has dominated global fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions have risen in an alarming rate. Gasoline and diesel consumption for road transport have a faster growing rate than other sector and the trend appeared to be rapidly moving upwards in the near future. This has caused much concern in many countries including Malaysia to improve the sustainable energy of this sector. The focus of this paper is to analyze the trends of energy pattern and emission of road transport in Malaysia. On top of that, the review of prospective policies such as fuel economy standards and fuel switching to natural gas as well as biodiesel are summarized in this study. The study found that there is an urgent need to adopt suitable energy policy to balance the energy demand and reduce emission in this sector. This study serves as a guideline for further investigation and research in order to implement and improve the transportation sector. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The emissions from road transport are serious threats to urban air quality and global warming. The first step to develop effective policies is to determine the source and amount of emissions produced. This paper attempts to review emissions from road transport using COPERT 4 model and examined possible emission mitigation strategies. In road transport, results have show that passenger cars are the main cause of CO2, N2O and CO emissions, while motorcycles are main source of hydrocarbon (HC) emissions. However, light duty vehicles and heavy duty vehicles are the main contribution of particulate matters. The total CO2 equivalent emissions for road transport in Malaysia are 59,383.51ktonnes for year 2007. Further results show that CO2 emission is the primary source of greenhouse gas pollution which is 71% of the total CO2 equivalent. A parametric study was conducted to estimate the potential emission mitigation strategies for road transport by taking the emissions in 2007 as a reference year. It was observed that promoting the public transport is an effective strategy to reduce emissions and fuel consumption from the technical view point. It can totally save up to 1044ktonnes of fuel consumption and total CO2 equivalents emissions can be decreased by 7%. It was noted that, fleet renewal and promoting natural gas vehicles will significantly contribute in the reduction of emissions in Malaysia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper focused on a review of international experiences on fuel economy standard based on technologies available. It also attempts to identify savings possibilities and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. It is known that road transport, particularly private cars are responsible for large, and increasing share of transport fuel use and emissions. With the implementation of fuel economy standard and label for motor vehicles, it will reduce the risks of increasing dependency on petroleum-based fuel and will increase the profit to consumers. The GHG emissions, which causing global warming, air pollution, diseases, etc. can be reduced as well. In this regard, advanced technologies such as, engine, transmission, and vehicle technologies may brought significant consumers and social benefits. Studies in developed countries have shown that fuel economy standard is beneficial for the society, government as well as the environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper aims to present a review on Malaysia''s national energy developments by looking at various angles in terms of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Energy demand and consumption by sectors are presented as well as the fuel mix in electricity generation. Key energy policies implemented from the incorporation of Malaysia''s national oil company, Petronas in 1974 until the National Green Technology Policy 2009 and a future policy will be addressed. The roles of key players as well as important agencies in energy development are briefly presented. Key programmes in energy development such as Malaysian Industrial Energy Efficiency Improvement Project, Small Renewable Energy Power Programme and Building Energy Efficiency Programme are discussed as well as successful initiatives from the programmes. Malaysia''s international involvements towards reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon emissions especially Montreal Protocol and Kyoto Protocol are highlighted. As a conclusion, Malaysia is aware of its role in formulating its national energy development policies, sensitive towards the country''s development towards the environment and utilization of energy resources as well as conscientious and responsive towards the call for sustainable development in promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Many countries have organised energy awards as an instrument to promote energy efficiency (EE), to contribute towards energy sustainability and to provide a mechanism for organisations to continuously search, benchmark and acknowledge initiatives and best practices in EE. To be effective, an award system must be tailored towards the needs, the level of readiness and the acceptance of a nation. This paper presents a framework for implementation of a national EE award in the context of Malaysia. The current energy scenario and energy issues relevant to Malaysia are first highlighted to establish the premise for organising a national energy award. Models and success stories of EE awards in other countries are discussed as possible benchmarks for implementation. The results of a survey conducted on various energy stakeholders in Malaysia confirmed the needs, readiness and acceptance for a national EE award. A framework for the implementation of a Malaysian EE award is proposed based on the survey conducted, and on various models of energy award implementation worldwide. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The damage inflicted by global warming is happening far faster than any experts have predicted or anticipated. Since the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997 to fight global warming through reducing global greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission, the world climate pattern has worsened at an accelerated rate beyond expectation. While developed countries sanctioned by the protocol are committed to achieve their GHG emission targets, developing nations play similar roles on a voluntary basis. Since almost all of the GHGs emissions come from energy sector, it is obvious that energy policy and related regulatory frameworks play imperative roles in realizing the Kyoto Protocol objectives. With carbon dioxide (CO2) touted as the main remedy in the GHGs emissions, it is only reasonable that carbon trading becomes the essential element in the Protocol. Recently a milestone is marked in the Kyoto Protocol with the 2009 Climate Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, with all participating countries further committed themselves in fulfilling the protocol''s obligations before the commitment period due in 2012. It is worthwhile to review the various energy efficiency efforts and carbon trading potential in Malaysia, a country which although does not bear any obligation, has ratified and lauded the cause of the protocol. Malaysia as a developing nation is seen as a direct beneficiary from carbon trading and in this paper, how the country energy policies have evolved over the years with concerted efforts from the government to minimize its carbon footprint through numerous energy efficiency implementations are discussed in length. The impact from the 2009 Climate Summit on Malaysia is also briefed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy is essential to the way we live. Whether it is in the form of oil, gasoline or electricity, a country''s prosperity and welfare depends on having access to reliable and secure supplies of energy at affordable prices. However, it is also one of the benefits taken for granted by many people, knowing little about the impact of electricity on their lives. Having dependent mainly on oil and gas for half a century, Malaysia has started to realize the importance to adopt renewable energy in the energy mix and continuously reviewed its energy policy to ensure sustainable energy supply and security. This paper examines and discusses the intricacy of the existing and new energy policies, issues and challenges in Malaysia. The overall approach in addressing the energy issues and challenges will continue to focus on adequacy, quality, security and sustainability of both non-renewable and renewable energy supply in the country''s development and the promotion and implementation of its energy efficiency programs. The recently launched National Green Technology Policy is also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]