Sedekah Energi visited Sijunjung with solar panels installed in Buya Mosque

MOSAIC-INDONESIA.COM, SIJUNJUNG — Muslims for Shared Action on Climate Impact (MOSAIC) installed solar panels at Buya Syafii Maarif Mosque in Sumpur Kudus Selatan, Sijunjung Regency, West Sumatra, on Friday (2/5/2025).

This  installation will switch fossil energy become renewable energy from  solar power. “Sedekah Energi has been going on since 2022, we have previously installed solar panels in West Nusa Tenggara and Yogyakarta. Last March we carried it out in West Java and this year in West Sumatra,” MOSAIC Representative M. Syahdiladarama said on Friday (2/5/2025)

He said this mosque is selected based on their survey. “Such as the assessment of the level of sunlight in this neighborhood to the role of the mosque,” he said in a written statement.

He hopes these solar panels can replace the more stable positioning of the generator and electricity. With solar energy, he said, azan (praying call for Muslim) can still be heared when the electricity is off. Syahdiladarama revealed that the Sedekah Energi program also trains people to improve knowledge about solar panels. Moreover, people in Sumpur Kudus admit that there are power outages which happens frequently. For them, these solar panels are expected to be a useful solution.

“We hope that these solar panels can replace the generator and have a more stable position of electricity, the most important of which is the azans that survive even if there is a power outage,” he said.

The solar panel technician,  Delta Prayoga Nugraha said, “The Solar Power Plant (PLTS) uses 5,500 WP panels, which serve to support 3,500 VA electricity needs with the support of 9,600 Watt batteries.” With a fully charged battery, it is capable of operating for about a day and a half,” he said.

In the process of installation, technicians found a slight obstacle such as an inclined plane on the mosque roof. But those obstacles have already been addressed with the installation of rails and supported by clear weather. 

Advantages of solar panels

Wali Nagari of Southern Holy Sumpur, Khairul Basri said the installation of solar panels could help people, particularly in Sumpur Holy Land which often experiences power outages, especially when it rains heavily.“With this solar power we are proud, usually in one week there are 5-10 times the lights go out. When it rains it can be 24 hours the lights go off,” he said.

He said the existence of solar power makes people not have to worry when there is a power outage, because azans can still be  heard by the public. “These solar panels are an unexpected favour, we are very grateful to the MOSAIC team who have chosen this mosque, this mosque is able to accommodate approximately 500 worshippers,” he said.

The youth of Sumpur Kudus Selatan, Leo Prima Weski, 26, said the installation of solar panels is not only alternative energy, but also it means education to the community. “It's not just as a source of electricity, but it's also an education for the youth and children here on how to balance the technology we use with the nature we use,” he said.

”There are frequent power outages especially when it rains, it is triggered because our geographical location is hilly, there are often natural disasters such as electricity poles being knocked over by trees,” he said.

Leo said, almost every activity in the mosque relies on electricity, such as azan speakers, fans, loudspeakers, and water pumps.“Usually, if the electricity goes out, the water here also turns off. With the presence of solar panels will have a positive impact on the activities in the mosque, we will not have to worry anymore if there is a power outage by PLN,” he said.

The other youth, Novia Sartika, 35, said that in the Holy Sumpur area there are frequent power outages, even lasting up to two days. Novia was one of the residents whose home was not far from the mosque, he said, with the presence of solar panels in the mosque would help the community.

“In this Holy Sumpur the lights often go out, sometimes there is no dead rain either. With solar panels in the mosque, we can use the lights there like to charge the mobile phones that are used when the electricity in the house is turned off,” he said.

He said the public is often constrained by the dissemination of information from mosques when the power goes out. “Someone has died, but we don't know. It is usually announced in mosques, if the lights turn off, the mosque speakers also go off,” he said. He claimed to be interested in installing solar panels at home.