Singapore sets an example in the area of green and smart energy-
The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has undertaken several initiatives and projects in recent years to make Singapore’s energy sector smarter, more energy efficient and more environment friendly. The country has expanded its solar capacity significantly in the last two years, mainly on account of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed on rooftops. It is also actively deploying smart solutions such as smart meters widely as a step towards developing smart grids. Moreover, the EMA, jointly with the National Environment Agency (NEA), is conducting various energy efficiency drives to raise awareness amongst households and industry consumers. The agency had launched an industry-focused Energy Efficiency National Partnership Programme in 2010.
The total installed capacity of grid-connected solar PV systems in Singapore has grown substantially to 114 MW (as of November 2016) from 10 MW in 2012. Around 54 MW of the current total capacity has been added in 2016 itself. The capacity addition has necessitated the formulation of a physical and regulatory infrastructure that supports the integration of the solar energy with the main grid. The government has undertaken various initiatives to ensure this.
Earlier, market registration was required for receiving payment for excess solar generation through rooftop solar PV, which the government has now done away with. A central intermediary now facilitates payments. Various intermediary agencies for trading of rooftop solar PV energy have also sprung up, which lease space from buildings where such systems can be installed and supply power generated to buildings which do not have space.
The latest initiatives of the government include the development of microgrid test-beds and floating test-beds for solar PV systems. The ongoing Pulau Ubin microgrid test-bed is one such project highlighting the efforts of the government to integrate renewable energy into the grid without affecting the strength of the network.
The EMA is also focusing on developing better energy storage systems (ESS) for seamless integration of solar energy into the grid. It is in the process of establishing a $25 million energy storage programme to aid research activities geared towards developing technologies that enhance the overall stability and resilience of the power system. The programme will aid the development of grid-level energy storage technologies, which could help reduce demand during peak periods and act as reserves for frequency regulation. Recently, in October 2016, the EMA also notified a paper on the proposed policy framework on ESS in Singapore.
On the smart grid front, the EMA designed the demand response programme to optimise energy usage by consumers by inducing them to change their consumption behaviour in response to price and supply conditions to reduce electricity usage permanently. Further, the deployment of smart solutions such as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) are likely to make it easier to integrate distributed and intermittent energy sources, such as solar PV panels. This also caters to the future possibility of electric vehicles connecting to the grid, both to draw electricity from the grid and to supply electricity to the grid during periods of peak demand. Further, AMI development is also likely to facilitate value-added services such as demand response or energy managements systems.
Solar PV in Singapore
One key development in this segment are the government’s initiatives for deployment of the ESS test-beds on a pilot basis that are likely to assist the integration of intermittent solar energy into the grid. The EMA, in May 2016, issued a request for proposal (RfP) jointly with Singapore Power (SP) for implementing a utility-scale, grid-connected ESS test-bed of a projected capacity of 6 MW. The RfP calls for the deployment of different battery technologies such as lithium-ion, flywheels, and redox flow batteries at three substations in Singapore. The experiment is the first of its kind in the country, which will test the developers’ ability to deploy solutions compatible with the country’s hot and humid climate and safety and space concerns.
Singapore’s national water agency, the Public Utilities Board (PUB), and the Economic Development Board (EDB) are jointly carrying out research for deployment of solar PV systems on water. This presents a good opportunity for the country, with its large number of waterbodies, to expand the reach of solar generation over waterbodies, in the backdrop of limited land availability in the urban centres of the island. To this end, the EDB and PUB are conducting a S$11 million pilot project at the Tengeh reservoir, managed by the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore.
The pilot project, expected to feed energy to the grid by the end of 2016, consists of 10 solar PV systems with a capacity of 1 MW. Once operational, the test-bed will be the largest floating PV system installed in Southeast Asia and in tropical climate conditions. The project was undertaken to help companies develop, test and evaluate the economic and technical feasibility of installing floating solar PV systems on water. A mass-scale deployment of such test-beds can greatly reduce the burden on land resources, as well as reduce evaporation losses from reservoirs.
Smart grid and energy efficiency initiatives
In September 2010, the government launched the Intelligent Energy System (IES) pilot project for testing and evaluating new applications and technologies around a smart grid. The IES pilot project aims to provide consumers with more information, choice and control over their electricity usage, thus improving energy efficiency, the resilience of the power system and reducing peak loads. The project was planned to be implemented in two phases.
Phase I, which was implemented during 2010-12, involved development of an enabling infrastructure for the IES, including AMI and the associated communication system. The emphasis was on establishing smart metering communication protocols and a strong communication platform for seamless flow of information from smart meters. To this end, Singapore’s Next Generation National Broadband Network was leveraged. As part of Phase I, 4500 smart meters were deployed, mainly in the Nanyang Technological University area.
Phase II, implemented during 2012-13, focused on smart grid applications enabled by smart meters installed by customers in their premises. The idea was to aid consumers to avail of various services offered by the electricity retailers. Residential customers were able to choose from a range of electricity pricing plans, thus allowing them to better manage their consumption and budgets, for instance, by shifting their usage from peak to off-peak periods when electricity prices are lowest. The data from smart meters also enabled the national power grid operator, SP PowerGrid, to detect almost instantly the location and extent of any localised outages, and respond immediately to restore supply.
Under the centre’s initiative on developing grid technologies, namely, the Singapore Power Energy Advanced Research and Development (SPEAR) programme launched in 2015, SP will partner with firms for co-development of pilot technologies such as grid sensing, data analytics, substation automation, grid communications and smart energy management. SP has developed a centre of excellence to provide a platform to researchers and businesses alike for developing such technologies. Under this, SP attracted 42 proposals from various industry players.
In order to prepare a competent workforce for operating and interacting with smart solutions, the EMA launched the National Energy Competency Framework (NECF) in June 2015. It aims to identify specialised grid related competencies (e.g., network monitoring, equipment condition monitoring, maintenance of network systems, etc.) and train the workforce to manage these areas. For achieving this, the EMA has partnered with the Singapore Institute of Power and Gas to develop new training programmes related to smart grids.
The EMA’s latest initiative on the energy efficiency front involves the development of technical solutions for a smart metering trial. In October 2016, the authority, via a call for proposals document, invited firms to develop and test smart solutions for remotely reading electricity, water and gas meters reliably and cost-effectively. The trial will also launch a mobile application to keep consumers updated about their consumption. In order to raise awareness about energy efficiency amongst citizens, the NEA has recently called for increasing the minimum efficiency performance standards for refrigerators.
Conclusion
Singapore has been one of the front runners in the Southeast Asian region when it comes to the adoption of smart solutions in the energy sector. The island nation has successfully implemented various projects related to smart grids and solar PV systems in the past and is experimenting with newer technologies such as floating test beds. Although there are challenges pertaining to availability of a skilled workforce that can develop implementable cost-effective solutions and the widespread use of non-automated meters at present, the country is proactively addressing these concerns with the help of active government support and a stable and predictable policy environment for the energy sector.
