Sembalun Residents Receive Solar-Powered Electric Energy Alms

Residents of West Dasan Village, Sembalun Village, Sembalun District, East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, seem to be as happy as the beginning of Ramadan 1444 H. Now, they can enjoy clean energy electricity and not be frustrated  by the frequent power outages.

'It's very positive. Although the PLN electric is off, here it is on. It was one of the immediate benefits we felt most today,” said H Abdurrahman Sembahulun, founder of Al Ma'hadul Islami Foundation Agricultural Boarding School (YAMI) on Tuesday (28/3) evening.

That day, a symbolic handover of Alms of Energy was performed at Al Ummah Al Islamiyah Mosque located at the foot of Mount Rinjani. Abdurrahman added that in Sembalun the electricity went out almost every two days. With solar panels, the lights are no longer turned off at the site. Another benefit is that in the village there are two borewells that can be reused using solar panel power sources, “During this time the availability of electricity here is insufficient,” he said.

With the presence of solar power panels and drilling wells, it can be used in addition to helping the needs of clean water of the surrounding residents, water for mosques, fish ponds and can also irrigate agricultural land around the cottage such as chili crops, carrots, tomatoes and so on which, among other things, the Women Farmers Group manages.

Nahdlatul Ulama

The energy alms of solar power plants were handed by Muhammad Ali Yusuf, MOSAIC Steering Board of Nahdlatul Ulama Disaster Management and Climate Change Institution (LPBI NU) to Abdurrahman Sembahulun founder of Al Ma'hadul Islami Foundation Agricultural Boarding School (YAMI). Since the beginning of Ramadan, solar panels with a total capacity of 4,700 WP (Watt-Plak) have been functioning, thus benefiting the various operational electricity needs of the mosque to social and economic activities of citizens.

If earlier the need for electricity per month reached IDR 150 thousand, with the presence of such solar panels, almost the boarding school no longer pays for electricity. This provision of clean energy is realized through the Mosaic initiated Energy Alms program or the collaboration of Muslims for climate impact. Muhammad Ali Yusuf said that it is a shared responsibility to spread awareness about the importance of switching to renewable energy sources, starting from mosques, and this at the same time encourages people to get involved in providing renewable energy, something that is very important for Indonesia to do.

Currently, renewable energy is not a common thing in many places, it does not damage the environment and minimal pollution as one of the solutions to the climate problem. “In this location it happens that there is a need because also electricity is often out while the need for water and all kinds of energy requires so we provide that solar panel facility,” Ali Yusuf said.

Electricity of Alms mosque Energy solar panels in Sembalun is the first action that Mosaic has carried out after it will be built in one of the locations in the Yogya region. Previously, Al Ummah Al Islamiyah Mosque already had a grant solar panel with a capacity of 2,400 WP that was used for water pumps, but because the panels were damaged (inverter and pump), it failed and caused problems with electricity and water.

Therefore MOSAIC then reconfigured it and built a new panel of 2,300 WP making a total of 4,700 WP plus two inverter units and two unit batteries. The installed solar panels meet 100% of the electricity needs of the mosque, which is the center of worship and social activities for more than 100 worshippers. The electricity generated will also aid lighting in learning activities teaching in schools and street lighting.

In addition, seven residents' homes will get electricity flow subsidies from those solar panels. Ali explained that as many as 19 residents consisting of 14 men and 5 women received training, maintenance and operation, “We hope that they will be the maintenance motors of this solar panel facility and installation so that it can continue to be used for a long period of time and its usefulness is even more," Ali said.

Energy Alms or Sedekah Energi is one of the continued programs of the Congress of Muslims for Sustainable Indonesia which began to be initiated in 2021. MOSAIC is a collaboration between various elements of society, including Islamic organizations, the media, academics and non-profit organizations focused on climate solutions and innovations to reduce the negative impacts of climate change.

Local residents claimed during this time they were often constrained by the availability of water and electricity, drought problems. “Due to limited electricity flow, we lack water so in order to practice, worshippers have to go home. We even had to buy water using a seesaw truck to deliver it to the community,” explained Muhammad Shahidul Wathan, mosque attaché at PP Yami.

PP Yami is a boarding school located at the foot of Mount Rinjani founded by Abdurrahman Sembahulun in 1985 with schools drawn from peasant groups. Santri in Ponpes This farm is not only taught about religion but also about agriculture as well as caring for the environment (N-2) (https://mediaindonesia.com/nusantara/569504/warga-sembalun-terima-sedekah-energi-listrik-bertenaga-surya)