Energy conservation opportunities in Malaysian universities

Abstract

The Ministry of Education Malaysia has urged all education centres to conserve energy. Energy wastage tends to occur in Malaysian universities mainly due to inefficient use of energy and lack of awareness among building users. In this context, energy conservation should be implemented to optimize energy use. This paper discusses the concept of a sustainable university with a view to propose some steps to conserve energy and achieve sustainability. Review of literature reveals that energy conservation methods can be classified into two categories: structural and non-structural. Within the context of these two categories, five high-impact energy conservation methods are suggested, including renewable energy, improvement of energy efficiency, energy usage management and monitoring, promotion and integration of energy concept, improvement on energy-saving awareness and energy-use behaviour. Based on the recommendations in this paper, Malaysian universities can adopt energy conservation methods that can be in harmony with their policies and strategies.