SHAH ALAM: Integrated property developers are encouraged to adopt the smart mini-grid system to enable efficient usage of energy in their developments, said Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui.

He said integrated developments like i-City would need to adopt the system which had been used in many countries such as Japan and South Korea.

A smart mini-grid is an integrated energy system with variable loads which are connected to the distribution grid. It also consists of a diverse range of small, local generators based on distributed energy resources with or without a storage system and control and power conditioning systems.

"The concept of integrated development, with facilities like data centre, shopping mall and biomedical centre would definitely need greater energy usage. Therefore, it is imperative to practise the smart mini-grid system," Chin told reporters on Tuesday night after a briefing on i-City here.

"By using this system, we can easily save up to 30% of energy," he added.

Meanwhile, i-Bhd's founder Datuk Lim Kim Hong said Chin's suggestion was worth exploring, adding that i-City practised "green initiatives".

"We use LED lights, which are 68% lower in carbon footprint than conventional light bulbs, in the design of the 'lightscape' digital display," he said.