Malaysia’s Columbia Hospitals and Solarvest Energy partner for sustainable healthcare
Columbia Asia, one of Malaysia’s largest private hospital chains and a part of Asia OneHealthcare (A1Health), has successfully completed the installation of solar panels across nine hospitals in the country. This initiative highlights Columbia Asia’s dedication to promoting sustainable healthcare and contributing to a greener environment.
In partnership with Solarvest Energy Sdn Bhd (Solarvest), the solar panel system has been generating renewable energy since its installation began in December 2023. The system, which converts sunlight into electricity using solar cells, produces 4.039 gigawatt hours (GWh) of green energy annually—enough to power 34,300 bulbs each year. This transition to renewable energy also significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 2,505 tonnes annually. Additionally, the project has proven to be cost-effective, delivering RM2.7 million in energy savings since its launch.
The installation was carried out in two phases, covering 11 buildings across the nine hospitals. Columbia Asia Hospital – Iskandar Puteri served as the pilot site, followed by installations in hospitals located in Tebrau, Setapak, Cheras, Petaling Jaya, Bukit Rimau, Klang, Seremban, and Taiping.
Beyond the solar panel project, Columbia Asia and other A1Health facilities are adopting multiple green initiatives that align with Malaysia’s national environmental goals. These include the Malaysia Renewable Energy Roadmap (MyRER) introduced in 2021 and the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) introduced in 2022, both of which encourage the adoption of solar energy. Current and future projects include phasing out desflurane, an anaesthetic agent with high greenhouse gas emissions, reducing single-use plastics in line with the Malaysia Plastics Sustainability Roadmap 2021–2023, installing electric vehicle charging stations, and upgrading to LED lighting in all facilities.
Category: MJN enews
