The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the UGM Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM) has launched the installation of solar panels and clean water management systems for public facilities in RT 21 RW 5 of Terban Village, Gondokusuman District, Yogyakarta City.
This inauguration is part of a community service project to empower Terban residents by enhancing energy resilience and access to clean water.
Dr. Budi Arifvianto coordinated the solar panel project, while Dr. Nur Mayke Eka Normasari led the clean water access project.
Dr. Jimly Al Faraby, Manager of Partnership, Community Service, and Alumni Services at FT UGM, conducted the inauguration ceremony.
During the event in Terban Village on Wednesday (Oct. 16), Dr. Al Faraby was accompanied by the Acting Head of Terban Village, Tutut Hari Kartono, and the Chair of RW 05 Terban, Supriyanto.
Dr. Al Faraby expressed gratitude for these two community service programs and emphasized the positive collaboration between UGM and the local community.
“This initiative demonstrates that the university is not only a place for intellectual pursuits but also for creating tangible societal benefits. This program has been ongoing for five years, and we hope it will continue, be developed further, and studied at the university to be applied to other communities,” Dr. Al Faraby said.
He highlighted the value of the knowledge gained from installing solar panels and providing clean water access in Terban Village. He explained that the true benefit of knowledge is realized when it is shared with society rather than kept within the confines of academia.
“When brought to the community, it becomes much more useful. Everyone benefits, and we at the university also gain because we can apply our knowledge, receive feedback from the community, and further develop our ideas to give back,” he explained.
Dr. Al Faraby hopes Terban Village can become an energy-independent community. He believes supporting Terban in achieving sustainable energy independence is essential and envisions it as a model for environmentally friendly energy.
“We hope Terban can brand itself as an energy-friendly village where people see how technology is embraced for sustainable energy. This could potentially impact tourism and, in turn, improve the local economy,” he added.
Representing the Yogyakarta City Government, the Acting Head of Terban Village, Tutut Hari Kartono, expressed his gratitude for FT UGM’s contributions to Terban.
He noted that the solar panel and clean water access projects illustrate the synergy among the “5 Ks” in building and supporting the well-being of the city’s residents. The 5 Ks refer to City, Corporate, Campus, Community, and Village.
“This is a great example of campus and village synergy, and we are grateful to UGM for transferring academic knowledge to the community,” he remarked.
Supriyanto, Chair of RW 05 Terban, praised the community service program for addressing residents’ basic needs, such as solar-powered lighting and clean water.
“We are grateful because the technology applied here educates the community and meets their basic needs,” he said.
Supriyanto also shared that since the local RW administration formed water user groups, residents have been able to save on water costs gradually. With the support of UGM’s clean water project, households have significantly reduced their water expenses.
“We are thankful for being able to cut water costs by up to 70 percent. Where residents used to spend hundreds of thousands of rupiah on water, they now only pay around 20 thousand, and we can even save for maintenance costs,” he explained.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photographer: Donnie