The deployment supports 11 households and 46 residents in Kampung Sungai Relang, as the wider initiative reaches 41 households across two Selangor communities.
SOLS Foundation and Google are working to install solar energy systems across 11 households in Kampung Sungai Relang, an Orang Asli community in Hulu Gombak. The community had been living without stable electricity after its previous micro-grid broke down, leaving residents dependent on generators and low-capacity personal solar panels.
Completed in July 2026, the deployment now provides more reliable energy access to 46 residents. It formed part of a wider SOLS Foundation initiative that reached 41 households and 140 residents across Kampung Sungai Relang and Kampung Air Kuning in Selangor.
Arina Dafir, Community and Workforce Development Manager, Asia Pacific, Google, said: “Responsible energy growth is a key aspect of Google’s long-term digital infrastructure commitment to Malaysia. This includes investing in new clean energy generation and supporting off-grid households. Access to technology begins with access to electricity. To help more people in Selangor thrive in a digital age, we must first address their daily needs—restoring the power that lights up a child’s study space, keeps homes safe at night, and serves as a foundation for future opportunities. By working alongside the SOLS Foundation and local residents, we’re helping to bring reliable solar energy into their homes. Through such initiatives, our goal is to directly improve the lives of families in the communities where we operate.”
Fakhrul Azmi, Community Energy and Operations Coordinator at SOLS Foundation, said: “Programmes like this can make an immediate difference to how families live each day. Reliable electricity means children can study after dark, households can reduce their dependence on generators, and residents can spend more time on productive activities. The value goes beyond installing solar equipment. It gives the community a dependable source of energy that can support their daily needs for years to come.”
A SOLS Foundation team member prepares one of the home solar systems before installation at Kampung Sungai Relang. The household-level systems were introduced to reduce residents’ dependence on generators and low-capacity personal panels following the breakdown of the village’s previous micro-grid.
SOLS Foundation team members install a solar panel at one of the 11 participating households in Kampung Sungai Relang. The deployment restored access to more dependable electricity for 46 residents who had been living without a stable energy supply.
An indoor lighting unit is installed as part of a household solar system. Reliable lighting gives residents greater certainty in carrying out everyday activities after dark without relying solely on generators or limited personal panels.
The deployment team completes electrical wiring at a participating household. SOLS Foundation provided the technical expertise for the installation, while volunteers from Google supported the team throughout the hands-on deployment.
Volunteers from Google spend time with residents while installation work takes place at Kampung Sungai Relang. Their participation extended beyond financial support, with volunteers working directly alongside the SOLS Foundation team and the local community.
Volunteers from Google, SOLS Foundation team members and residents gather at Balai Raya Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Relang following the deployment. The initiative brought solar energy systems to all 11 households in the village, supporting 46 residents and contributing to a wider effort that reached 41 households and 140 residents across two Selangor communities.
Together, the deployments across Kampung Sungai Relang and Kampung Air Kuning are estimated to generate RM177,120 in annual household savings and return 88,560 hours of productive time to residents each year.
Photo credit: Google and SOLS Foundation
