 RAHS Sep 27, 2016 04:14  | Thank you for submitting your trend! Solar will be a good complement to Singapore's existing energy sources. By 2030, with smart technology, do you envision that solar energy and other renewable sources will be able to sustain the majority of our consumption. This has to be done in conjunction with encouraging Singaporeans to be more energy efficient. For instance, switching off lights when there is no one in the room (maybe even with the help of light/motion sensors). Would such solar panels be privately or publicly owned? If solar panels were built on the top of every HDB block in Singapore, could there perhaps be a buy back scheme for energy returned to the grid? |
aricksoo Sep 28, 2016 11:30  | Trend contributor Thank you RAHS for your comment. Firstly, Yes i envision that by 2030 solar energy and other renewable sources will sustain the majority of our consumption. As Singapore have about 50% more solar radiation than temperate countries, solar energy is the most idealistic source. However with our greatest issue of the scarcity of land, most of the solar panels will be limited to rooftops. That's one of the main reason why i have suggested solar roadways, so as to maximize Singapore's surface area on harnessing solar energy not only on rooftops but even on roads, pavements and even windows! In addition, the cost of solar panels are going down while the efficiency is going up, enabling solar power to surpass grid parity. Solar panels can be both publicly and privately owned. If solar panels on every HDB is publicly owned, it will naturally contribute energy to the grid. Likewise, the Government can provide subsidies for private companies to install and maintain them, and the electricity generated can be sold back to the grid. In addition, solar panels need not be constrained to HDB as well! We have seen commercial buildings like Changi Airport's Budget Terminal and even factories utilizing such technology! Of course all these has to be done in conjunction of encouraging Singaporeans to save electricity, campaigns are already on-going such as "Clean & Green Singapore (CGS)", as Singapore's energy consumption from ema.gov.sg showed that total final energy consumption increased by roughly 26% from 2009 to 2015. With volatile oil prices and the threat of climate change, this further incentives the Government to spend on solar infrastructure, both publicly and privately. |
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