under the sun

ZURICH – FEEDING excess electricity generated from the sun back into Singapore’s power grid will soon be allowed – and bring financial compensation to boot.

In an about-turn from the current rules, companies in Singapore which produce more solar power than they can use can sell their surplus back to the national grid.

It is one of a number of policy changes and perks that the Economic Development Board (EDB) will be rolling out over the next few months, said Mr Kenneth Tan, who heads the board’s team overseeing the growth of Singapore’s clean energy sector.

More details will be available soon. The move is a double bonus: It encourages the use of solar energy, and fans market demand for it. Power harnessed from the sun will spearhead the Government’s push for clean energy.

This new direction is why National Research Foundation chairman Tony Tan has spent the last week leading a 20-man delegation on a study trip to Europe.

During the trip, the team dropped in on leading institutions in the water technology and clean-energy industries.

Seven organisations, five cities and three countries later, Dr Tan sounded optimistic about Singapore’s prospects in these two areas.

Giving reporters a roundup of the trip at the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue overlooking Lake Zurich, Dr Tan also announced plans to tap Swiss expertise in clean energy.

This may be done with the setting up of a research institute in Singapore.

A formal proposal for a global environmental sustainability research institute will be submitted this June by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, one of the agencies the Singapore delegation visited.

Dr Tan said: ‘A centre like this will show the world that we are making a serious commitment to excelling in this field.’

Asked what key lesson he picked up on the trip, he named the need to address Singapore’s shortage of skilled manpower for the clean-energy industry.

Having enough such workers was core to attracting overseas investments, he said.

On the cards, therefore, are plans to set up training centres where workers can relearn skills relevant to the industry, such the production of solar panels.

Dr Tan added: ‘The industry is not just for researchers and engineers.

‘We need skilled technicians and workers too.’

The green industry was also where high wages were paid, he said, so ‘Singaporeans should take advantage of that’.

Identified as one of the key pillars of Singapore’s economic development, the combined water and clean-energy industries are expected to contribute $3.4 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product and provide 18,000 jobs by 2015.

With a $500 million purse from the National Research Foundation, Dr Tan said he would be surprised if those targets were not surpassed.

Singapore, with its expertise in wafer fabrication, chemical engineering and manufacturing, had a solid foundation, he noted.

‘We have the ingredients to make this sector a big success. I think we are in for a golden age.’

 The landscape in the Bukit Timah green belt has developed a shiny spot.

Sunny Singapore is now looking into tapping solar energy to power our supply and it is working with the notoriously environmentally-conscious Germans to do it.

Covering the roof of the German European School Singapore at Bukit Tinggi Road, the large flat sheets are expected to harness enough solar energy per annum to power about nine HDB households for a year.

The Solar Roof Project Singapore involved coordination between the private and public sectors of both countries. It is a pilot initiative, in which 100 solar panels are generating 19,000 kWh annually. The electricity is being fed back into the electricity grid and distributed to other users when the school is not using it.

The technology, called Grid Connecting Systems, connects a solar photovoltaic system to the building to harness energy from the sun’s radiation. The energy is channelled into Singapore’s total power supply and distributed to other users when the school is not utilising it.

The project is an important contributor to exploring into potential and new renewable energy sources.

“This project will help us to assess the feasibility of grid-connected systems in Singapore, the impact on the energy market, the laws governing the use and sale of solar energy, and the positive environmental outcomes it will bring,” said Assoc Prof Koo Tsai Kee, Senior Parliament Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, at the launch of the Solar Roof Project Singapore.

This project was financed by a public-private partnership between the German Federal Energy Agency which aims to promote German solar technology and a German solar technology company, Sunset Energietechnik Gmbh.

references: http://www.nea.gov.sg/ar06/02SideSun.html

Zhao Chen

Welcometo the website of the first grid-connected photovoltaic system of Singapore

On March 24, 2006 the first grid-connected system of Singapore was inaugurated in line with a celebratory opening ceremony under attendance of numerous national and foreign VIPs. Crowned through a student featured supporting programme, this grid-connected system, on the roof of the german-european school, started operating.

With a peak capacity of 14.48 kWp and an estimated annual yield of 19,000 kWh, the solar system will serve as a flagship initiative for the sunshine-rich region south-east-asia.

“Singapore is an important stepping stone for innovative technologys and market developments” is what Olaf Fleck, managing director of SUNSET Energietechnik said. “With our solar roof we will show the potential user in the region, what solar energy made in Germany can achieve”.

Singapore is on the way to the solar age. The solar roof is another big move to it.

This system has arisen as joint-venture of SUNSET Energietechnik with the german energy-agency (dena), in line with the solar roof program for the foreign market development.

Grid-connected system technical details

Thermal hot water system

 from: http://www.solarroof-singapore.com/en/index.html

Solar energy takes on a new shine in Singapore

By Jessica CheamMORE than a decade ago, a business consultant suggested that the street lights, walkways, parks and common areas in Housing Board estates be powered by solar energy. For the bold ‘green’ idea he submitted for a contest, Mr Joseph Wee, 31, won $1,000. Petrol company BP, intrigued by his vision, dangled $40,000 before the universities for scientists to research ways of making it a reality.

But the hype fizzled out.

In the years that followed, Singapore’s potential as a base for a thriving solar industry was brought up in public debate time and again, only to be dismissed each time. ‘Too much cloud cover’ and ‘too expensive’ were cited as reasons.

But today, the word ‘solar’ has taken on a new shine. The Government has given it a stamp of approval, and has pumped money – to the tune of $170 million – into research and development, specifically on solar technology.

The big-picture goal now goes far beyond just being ‘green’: By growing a whole new solar energy sector, Singapore will be able to attract global talent and technology here to help power a $1.7 billion clean-energy industry by 2015 – and create 7,000 new jobs along the way.

The bright prospects stem from the tumbling costs of solar technology in recent years.

Mr Christophe Inglin, managing director of solar systems integrator Phoenix Solar’s Asia-Pacific office, said the explosion in German solar technology – the country is among the world leaders in the field – has brought this about.

National Research Foundation chairman Tony Tan’s recent trip to leading clean-energy institutions in Europe was a clear signal of how seriously the Government was viewing the potential of the solar-energy industry.

Dr Tan noted at the close of his trip that the industry was achieving ‘grid-parity’ – meaning that it would soon be as cost-efficient to generate electricity from the sun as it is from the conventional way of burning fossil fuels.

Falling costs of solar technology aside, another factor hastening the development of this industry here is the high cost of oil, which, together with gas, are Singapore’s main sources of energy.

Burning expensive fossil fuels like these becomes even more unattractive when one considers that it raises global levels of carbon emissions, the devil behind global warming and climate change.

Singapore recently set a target to reduce its carbon intensity – the amount of carbon dioxide emissions per GDP dollar – by 25 per cent by 2012 compared to 1990 levels.

The final lure of solar energy lies in the money to be made.

Leading US research firm Clean Edge has reported quick growth in the global clean energy market, with annual revenues climbing from $40 billion in 2005 to $55 billion last year. This is projected to hit $226 billion by 2016.

The market for solar photovoltaics – the science of converting sunlight into electricity – is projected to grow from last year’s $15.6 billion to $69.3 billion by 2016.

Another good reason for going into solar energy is that consumers are ready for it.

Mr Joseph Wee may have been a man ahead of his time, but an eco-friendly conscience is catching on now.

And people are now more able to afford clean technologies, with prices being driven down by competition. A 1 sq m solar panel capable of generating 100 to 140W of power now costs between $750 and $1,100, with the cost depending on how it is installed – a big drop from the past. But this will fall further, said Mr Amiram Roth-Deblon, business development manager for German solar firm Suntechnics’ Asia Pacific office.

Regionally, the market is growing. Even as Germany, the United States and Japan pull ahead in solar technology, Malaysia has attracted US-based solar firm First Solar to its shores. A 200-megawatt capacity solar-module manufacturing plant, to be completed by this year, will help lower prices in Asia. In Seoul, the world’s largest solar power plant, which will be able to generate enough power for 6,000 households in a year, will be completed by next year.

Does Singapore have what it takes to succeed? About 20 home-grown and foreign solar firms are already based here, not including many others in the more specialised field of solar thermal systems, which use the sun to heat up water.

The managing director of local R&D firm Solar2D, Mr Derek Djeu, believes that as a research test-bed and regional base, the Republic remains an attractive destination. Mr Djeu, who is developing a solar-power efficiency booster – which maximises the amount of sunlight a solar module can absorb – said he has received strong support from the Economic Development Board and local educational institutes.

But the real challenge for Singapore is not just in attracting talent for research, but in creating a local market.

Phoenix Solar’s Mr Inglin said: ‘Local companies must develop the expertise needed in installing solar systems. Without local business opportunities, we will not attract enough talent.’

It will not do to leave this to the private sector alone. Government incentives and policy changes will be necessary, say those in the field.

Germany’s phenomenal growth in the field, for example, was primarily powered by a government programme of subsidies to encourage the adoption of solar systems.

Besides incentives, legislative changes can also help. Changes can be made to building codes, or laws can be enacted to make solar hot water systems mandatory, suggested Mr Roth-Deblon.

The Singapore Government is now considering a policy that pays users of solar energy for feeding their surplus power back to the grid.

Changes like this take time. Mr K. E. Raghunathan, an Indian national who recently set up a solar module manufacturing plant in Tuas, said: ‘Public awareness only comes if people can see, feel and touch the technology.’

Surprised by the lack of solar products in the market here, Mr Raghunathan, chairman of Eco-Solar Technologies, has given himself the job of ‘bringing solar to the people’.

It will not be long before Singaporeans will be able to buy Eco-Solar’s solar-powered fans, light fixtures, sign boards, torch lights, and even mobile phone chargers at petrol kiosks.

‘There is great potential here. And we have the advantage of knowing what has worked, and what has not, in other countries,’ he said. Mr Inglin agreed: ‘Singapore does not have to start from scratch. We can catch up by adopting the more successful strategies.’

Singapore’s attitude towards solar power may have had a tentative start, but the consensus now is that it will dig in. Mr Inglin said: ‘Let’s just hope it will not take another 10 years to see some results.’

 Straits Times 6 Jun 07

 April 21, 2007
S’pore Grid To Buy Surplus Solar Power
Policy change one of several planned to boost clean energy sector
By Tania Tan
Straits Times

Zhao Chen

What Singapore is doing for solar energy & our potential in fully utilizing solar energy?

Would some one be in charge of citing the sources properly?

Solar energy is renewable, clean and abundant in Singapore.  It can potentially help us reduce our reliance on fossil fuels imports and cut down on our greenhouse gas emissions.  Although solar energy is free, installing such system requires capital investment.  Therefore creative applications and sound engineering are essential to make solar project feasible, cost-effective and lasting.

from: http://www.nea.gov.sg/cms/sei/Courses_PV.html

Singapore To Build World’s Largest Solar Energy Plant

October 28, 2007 9:58 a.m. EST                                          

 Singapore (AHN) – The world’s largest manufacturing plant for making solar energy products will be built in Singapore, it will be the first such plant in Southeast Asia.

 The plant is expected to start production of wafers, cells and modules used to generate solar power by 2010. It will be built by leading Norwegian solar energy firm Renewable Energy Corp (REC) in the Tuas View area with space set aside for supporting industries.

The plant will be able to produce products that can generate up to 1.5 gigawatts (Gw) of energy annually. That is enough to power several million households at any one time.

The current largest plant in the world, also run by REC in Norway, has a capacity of 650 megawatts (Mw).

‘The project will be a ‘queen bee’ to attract a hive of solar activities to Singapore – big companies and young start-ups engaged in research and development, manufacturing and innovation, as well as the supplier ecosystem,’ said Ko Kheng Hwa, managing director of the Economic Development Board (EDB), which signed the deal with REC earlier this week.

About 3,000 jobs, including 2,000 for skilled staff, will be created at the plant.

REC president and chief executive officer Erik Thorsen said Singapore was chosen after nine months of screening involving 200 possible locations.

from: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008974962

 Speech by Assoc Prof Koo Tsai Kee, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, at the Launch of the Solar Roof Project Singapore, 24 March 2006, at the German European School

It is my pleasure to be here today to witness the launch of Singapore’s first grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system.  It is an exciting milestone for Singapore in the harnessing of energy capabilities.

Rising Fuel Oil Prices and Growth of Solar Energy

2         Since the dawn of mankind, fossil fuels have been the main source of energy.  Even though the world had made great progress in technology in the last few decades or so, fossil fuels continued to play an integral part in power generation, allowing us to enjoy the many comforts of modern life, such as lighting, air-conditioning and transport.  So much so that we have taken all these for granted now.

3         However, in recent years, high and unstable fuel oil prices have been affecting businesses and creating great uncertainties for economies.  Scientists have linked carbon dioxide, a by-product of fuel combustion, to global warming and a rise in sea levels.  Singapore, being a small island state, is not ignoring these concerns.

4         Singapore has already committed to reduce its carbon intensity, which is the amount of carbon dioxide emission per GDP dollar, by 25% from 1990-levels by the year 2012.  In fact, we had already achieved a 22% reduction in 2004 and are therefore well on track to meet our target.  Singapore’s accession to the Kyoto Protocol this year also heralds a new era for Singapore to play a greater role in mitigating the impact of climate change.

Solar Energy Initiatives in Singapore

5         Is solar energy therefore a solution to the energy problem that the world faces today?  Worldwide, solar energy use has been growing at a phenomenal rate of 29% per annum from 1971 to 2003 [1].  A significant portion of this growth is being driven by countries such as Germany, Japan and the United States.

6          Singapore also recognises the benefits and growth potential of solar energy.  Even though there is a constant presence of significant cloud cover over Singapore, we still enjoy a substantial amount of sunshine throughout the year.  Thus, there is vast potential for us to tap into solar energy, a clean and renewable energy source which can assist in our efforts to reduce our carbon intensity. 

7          Singapore Government agencies and institutions have been stepping up efforts in recent years to promote solar energy use.  Several agencies have been testing or using photovoltaic or PV power for several years.  For example, the Sembawang Town Council implemented a 3 kilowatts-peak (kWp) PV system at a multi-storey car park at Bangkit Road in 2000 to provide power for lighting.  This project was part of the town council’s effort to implement green power and save energy.  There are also other building-integrated PV systems at Changi Naval Base and Biopolis, as well as the demonstration projects on PV technology at the Singapore Polytechnic and the BCA’s Construction Industry Training Institute.

8          Singapore continues to attract pioneering investments in solar energy. Other German companies with solar related businesses have also expressed interest in setting up offices here, and I’m hopeful today’s event will herald more foreign investments in our renewable energy market.

9         To increase the level of knowledge and stimulate interest in solar energy implementation among architectural and engineering professionals here, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has also been conducting training seminars with the assistance of experts from the solar energy industry and tertiary institutions.  I am told that the response to these seminars has been very good and the level of interest has been high.  This shows that more organisations are recognising the technological advances being made in this area as well as the increasing affordability of PV power.

10              Being strategically located in the equatorial sun-belt, there are vast market opportunities in Singapore as the cost of solar-generated electricity narrows the gap with that of conventional electricity.  Singapore’s strengths in terms of our existing strong electronics capabilities and supplier base provide strong leverages for the development of the solar energy industry.  Singapore can also add value through our logistics and system integration capabilities.  Going forward, we intend to look into boosting public and private sector R&D

   German European School Solar Panel Project

11       Germany and Singapore indeed have a good history of cooperation and partnership.  Germany’s support in this solar demonstration project shows its commitment to share its experience and latest technologies, and impart new business models here.  Today also marks the start of the German Expo in Singapore, and I am heartened to witness how these two events have brought our two countries even closer.

12       This project at the German European School demonstrates, for the first time in Singapore, the concept of grid-connection.  By feeding solar power directly into the grid, the energy efficiency of solar power production and delivery is increased while battery storage equipment is eliminated and capital and maintenance costs are reduced.  This, I hope, will lower the overall cost of PV power production and speed up the commercialisation and take-up rate of PV technology. 

13       In addition, this project will help us to assess the feasibility of grid-connected systems in Singapore, the impact on the energy market, the laws governing the use and sale of solar energy, and the positive environmental outcomes it will bring. 

14       I believe this project would also endow German companies here with a first-mover advantage in implementing innovative solar technologies and catalyse the growth of solar energy here.  I am confident that this project will become a beacon of your strong presence in Singapore and impress on everyone, especially our younger generation the benefits of solar energy.  I am sure Principal Boos will agree with me that this is a good thing.

15       Looking ahead, the challenge is to make PV power even more cost competitive and integrate it into our everyday lives.  I strongly encourage our partners from Germany to ride on the momentum built up from this demonstration project, and join us to venture into the development of solar technologies in Singapore and the region.

16       On this note, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the event organisers – the German Federal Energy Agency DENA, Sunset Energietechnik and its Singapore subsidiary, Sunseap Enterprises, for their efforts in installing the solar panel system, and for choosing Singapore to host its pilot project in South East Asia.  I wish you every success in the project.

Thank you.

from: http://app.mewr.gov.sg/press.asp?id=CDS3596

 Zhao Chen

This article includes the situation in Singapore and the comparison with other countries.

Singapore being tropically located with vast amount of sunny days, hasn’t there been any consideration to tap this free energy for residence consumption, i.e. installing solar (photovoltaic) panels on external walls of high rise apartments, tapping this energy for use in cooling system (air-cons), etc.

 The Sun’s energy is an enormous and constant energy resource, but because of the earth’s protective atmosphere only a small amount of the total energy produced by the sun reaches earth. Astronomers have determined that the sun’s energy has remained relatively constant over the last century and this “solar constant” will continue to be 1.36 kilowatts per square metre (+-3.5%) for about the next four billion years. The incident solar radiation (insolation) received at any particular location on the Earth’s surface may vary between 0 and 1.05 kilowatts per square metre depending on the latitude, the season, the time of day, and the degree of cloudiness.

Solar energy has always been an alternative renewable energy source. There are only two primary disadvantages to using solar power: amount of sunlight and cost of equipment. The amount of sunlight received by external walls of a high-rise building varies greatly depending on direction, time of day, time of year and weather conditions. Hence, solar equipment are usually installed on the roof and not on the vertical walls. While solar energy technologies have made huge technological and cost improvements, they are still more expensive than traditional energy sources.

Compared with subtropical desert regions, Singapore receives less than two-thirds of the solar radiation and much lower sunshine values. Mean daily sunshine hours for he different months of the year vary from 33 to 55 per cent of the maximum possible. February, March and July with 6.2 hours of bright sunshine receive the highest and November and December with 4.5 and 4.4 hours, respectively, the lowest. On the average, solar radiation is at maximum in February (484.4 milliwatt-hr per square centimetre) and March (489.6 milliwatt-hr per square centimetre) while a secondary maximum is experienced in September (438.6 milliwatt-hr per square centimetre) thereafter drop below 400 milliwatt-hr per square centimetre in November (376.3 milliwatt-hr per square centimetre) and December due to the more frequent occurrence of overcast skies during the end of the year period. 

Solar energy can be used primarily in three ways: passive solar heat, active solar heat, and photovoltaics (also called solar cells or PV). The first two energy sources involve collecting the heat produced by the Sun for use in heating living or working space, or hot water. Photovoltaics uses the light produced by the Sun (or any light source) to generate electricity directly. Sunlight striking a photovoltaic or solar cell causes a voltage and current to be created in a semiconductor that can be used just like the electrical energy from a battery or DC generator.

In US, a typical residence can be served with a 4 kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic system. Because Photovoltaic system produces power only when the Sun is shining, an independent residential system must include batteries to store energy when the Sun is not shining. Often a residential system includes a backup generator to provide additional assurance that power will always be available. PV system requires sufficient roof area to provide the necessary power output for the house. The cost of a complete residential system, independent of the utility system, is about US$25,000 to US$40,000.

For solar cooling, there are both active and passive cooling techniques that can be used. A passive solar system uses the sun-facing walls or windows of a house as collector and natural means of heat transfer. The principle behind active solar cooling is much the same as for a gas-fired refrigerator. Active systems are expensive and technically elaborate and so are not generally used in homes.

references: http://www.science.edu.sg/ssc/detailed.jsp?rtid=375&type=6&root=2&parent=2&cat=21

 mindy