The 73-year-old Pure Life Society in Puchong, which has served over 2,000 orphans since its founding and is currently home to forty more from diverse cultures, is now drawing from renewable energy.
The RM131,500 needed to install the solar panels for the Main Wing (comprising the administrative building and girls’ dormitory) was borne entirely by OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC Bank) in conjunction with its 90th anniversary.
The project was a result of a collaboration between the Bank’s Puchong, Subang Jaya and Kota Damansara branches, in collaboration with Bolt Industries Sdn Bhd and Lions Club of Kuala Lumpur Parkcity (Lions Club).
Pure Life Society will be looking to install solar panels for the boys’ dormitory as well at a later date, which would then enable them to draw entirely from renewable energy.
With the help of Bolt Industries, 61 pieces of Tier 1 solar modules were installed on the main building, complete with mounting structures, inverter and monitoring system for all to monitor the performance of the system.
Staff of OCBC Bank celebrate with those of Pure Life Society after the successful installation of the solar panels at the Society’s premises
The eco-friendly orphanage now stands to save RM1,703 in monthly electricity bills whilst reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2,138kg every year for the next 25 years, the life span of the solar modules.
According to YBhg. Datin Paduka (Dr.) Mother A. Mangalam, Life President of The Pure Life Society the upgrade to solar-powered energy has always been at the back of the Society’s mind but could not be realised for lack of funds.
“The donation from OCBC Bank was timely given our quest to urgently control costs to serve the orphans better, and to keep in check our own GHG emissions, however small in the broader scheme of things, to serve Mother Earth well. This is the start of our concerted effort towards being more sustainable as we serve the communities in which we operate,” she said.
Thumbs up for the solar panels at the main wing of Pure Life Society: (L-R) Ms Tan Yun Yun, Senior Manager, OCBC Puchong Branch; Mr Danny Yap Hoy Meng, Senior Manager, OCBC Subang Branch; Mr Jason Wong of Lions Club of KL Parkcity and Mr Murali Haripalan, Technical Director of Bolt Industries
According to OCBC Puchong Branch Senior Manager Ms Tan Yun Yun the Bank engages with the communities it is involved in by venturing beyond its superior banking products and services to meeting the social needs of the people as well.
“At this point of our journey as a bank, we are increasingly seeking to promote sustainability-linked initiatives for our products and services by promoting societal awareness of the required Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards. We figured this green upgrade through the solar panels would go some way toward achieving our ideals.
“We are thankful to Bolt Industries and Lions Club of KL Parkcity for their partnership, and we hope the children at the Pure Life Society will be even better served through the cost savings gained here and the healthier physical environment,” she said.
She added that with 90 years of giving to communities, OCBC looks forward to enabling individuals, SMEs and businesses to build a more sustainable future.
In the lead up to unveiling the solar panels, OCBC Bank staff from the three branches came together to contribute books to the library of Pure Life Society and shared heartfelt messages through personalised cards to help encourage the orphans with their studies.