Image: Ilman Afif Al Arif (Bottom Left) and Nafadiya Mumtaza (Bottom Right) pose with residents of the Medokan Ayu Hydroponic Village, Surabaya.
Surabaya, ELECTICS ITS — Students from the Student Executive Board (BEM) of ELECTICS ITS, through the Rumah Pengabdian program, have successfully implemented solar panel technology in the Medokan Ayu Hydroponic Village, Surabaya. This initiative represents a tangible contribution from students in delivering beneficial and sustainable technological solutions for the community.
Ilman Afif Al Arif, an Electrical Engineering student at ITS and the project lead, along with his colleague Nafadiya Mumtaza, explained that the idea of applying renewable energy emerged from direct field observations. The team discovered that the main challenge faced by the residents of the Hydroponic Village was the high electricity cost required to operate the water pump system.
“We wanted to present a different kind of community service not just social assistance, but something that creates a long-term impact,” said Ilman.
Image: One of the ELECTICS BEM members explaining the energy conversion device during the community service activity in Medokan Ayu, Surabaya.
The installation of a 550 Wp solar panel system took place from October 9 to 11, involving all members of the Social and Community Affairs Department and volunteers from ELECTICS batches 2023 and 2024. The activity was guided by Abdullah Alfin Holis, an Electrical Engineering student from the 2022 batch, who has hands-on experience in solar power system installation.
The solar panel system adopted a hybrid mechanism in which solar energy serves as the main power source, while electricity from PLN remains as a backup. With this system, the Hydroponic Village can now reduce its monthly electricity consumption by about 30 percent without disrupting the operation of the hydroponic pumps, even during cloudy weather.
Image: Residents and committee members of the Rumah Pengabdian program gather for a group photo after the activity in Medokan Ayu.
Beyond installation, the team also provided technical training and inverter usage workshops for local managers so that residents could independently operate the system. In addition, the ELECTICS ITS BEM team will conduct biweekly monitoring to ensure that the system continues to function optimally.
“This program made us realize that students should act as agents of change. The knowledge we gain in college should be applied directly to empower communities,” Ilman added.
As a follow-up, ELECTICS ITS BEM plans to add more solar panel units next year to increase energy capacity and expand the benefits for residents. Through this simple yet impactful initiative, ITS students demonstrate that technology does not only belong in classrooms it can grow alongside communities and serve as a light of change toward a more sustainable future.
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