NHA inks energy-saving housing deal
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The National Housing Authority has signed a memorandum of understanding with Cellennium (Thailand), the sole licensee of vanadium fuel-cell innovation, and Horseshoe Point, developer of the prototype Eco Village in Pattaya, to develop energy-saving housin
The projects will be designed to raise the living standards of low-to-middle-income earners. The NHA targets the construction of 50,000 eco-houses over six years, with each unit able to generate electricity from sunlight and sell back power to the system.
NHA governor Vitoon Jiasakul yesterday said the agency was determined to develop the housing projects to raise the quality of life for lower-income people through innovation.
Under the NHA’s recently signed MoU with Cellennium (Thailand) and Horseshoe Point for technical cooperation to build Eco Village projects, the three parties will jointly study ways to develop the NHA Sustainable Housing Project with the use of renewable energy.
The preferred choice is solar power, with home-owners benefiting from free electricity generated through rooftop solar panels. They can also sell power back to state utilities if output exceeds demand.
The NHA targets developing 50,000 units under the Sustainable Housing Project in Bangkok and surrounding areas between 2012 and 2018. The first phase will cover 25 projects with 15,000 units.
Residents may have to share the cost by paying an additional Bt1,000 per month for eight years to produce energy from their rooftops. However, this is a wise investment because they can also earn additional income from selling power if output exceeds demand, Vitoon said.
Krisada Kampanatsanyakorn, chairman of Cellennium (Thailand), said the company’s vanadium-redox (reduction-oxidation) flow-battery technology was an innovative method of electricity storage and power generation. The company registered the patent for the technology in 1978.
The technology entails a rechargeable flow battery that provides unlimited capacity. It can be recharged simply by replacing the electrolyte if there is no available power source to charge it.
This makes this device useful for applications from small-to-large-scale electricity generation driven by renewable energy, whereby the efficiency for storing and discharging electricity is significantly enhanced, he said.
Chaikiri Srifuengfung, chairman and founder of Horseshoe Point, said his company had researched the Eco Village project in Pattaya by using renewable power from sunlight, wind and biomass and storing it in a vanadium-redox flow battery to generate power for consumption, and selling back the surplus output to the Provincial Electricity Authority.
Horseshoe Point has managed to lower the power bill by 50 per cent every month, and the company expects to save 100 per cent of the energy bill in the future, he said.
The fact that the NHA has realised the importance of the eco-friendly project will raise the living standards for low-to-middle-income residents. They will not only live comfortably in their energy-efficient homes, but will also be able to generate additional income from selling surplus power, he added.
