The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and national water agency PUB today announced Singapores first floating photovoltaic (PV) pilot project at Tengeh Reservoir. The S$11 million pilot is estimated to have a system size of 2 mega-watt (MW), and will be the first of its kind in the region.
The pilot project aims to assess the feasibility of installing floating solar PV systems on water, as an alternative to rooftops. In partnership with private sector companies, EDB and PUB will examine the cost effectiveness of these floating PV systems and ascertain the improvement in performance of the solar modules, due to the expected cooling effect from the water. PUB will also study potential secondary benefits of these installations, such as reduced water evaporation and algae growth in our reservoirs.
Said Dr Beh Swan Gin, Managing Director of EDB, This pilot project exemplifies Singapores continuing efforts to overcome our resource constraints through innovative renewable energy solutions. The project also enables cleantech companies to address a sophisticated need, which if successful, can be scaled up and commercialised globally.
The announcement was made at the Solar Pioneer Awards Ceremony, held at the inaugural PV Asia Pacific Expo, as part of the Singapore International Energy Week 2011. At the ceremony, the inter-agency Energy Innovation Programme Office (EIPO), co-led by EDB and the Energy Market Authority (EMA), awarded a third wave of five private sector projects with the Solar Pioneer Award. The award recognises solar installations in Singapore that are pioneering in terms of system design, size and installation techniques, and help to build solar system integration capabilities.
The five projects are Keppel DHCS District Cooling Systems Plant at Changi Business Park, Hyfluxs Innovation Centre, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals plant, OUB Centre Limiteds One Raffles Place Tower 2 and UOL Groups Upper Pickering Hotel & Office Development (for details, please refer to Annex A).
System sizes of solar projects in Singapore have increased over the years. For example, Keppel DHCS District Cooling Systems Plant at Changi Business Park, with a size of about 550 kilowatt-peak (kWp), will be Singapores largest solar PV system on a building.
These projects are also helping to build up capabilities throughout Singapores solar ecosystem, comprising system integrators, architects, engineers, developers and technology providers. As an example, OUB Centre Limiteds One Raffles Place Tower 2 is using PV modules produced by home-grown company PV World.
Through their participation in these projects, Singapore-based companies can hone their expertise, develop new systems-level innovations, and build up a strong track record to position themselves for commercial opportunities in regional and global markets.
