Singapore has potential to be exporter of solar energy
technology
Singapore may not have oil - but it has sunshine, and lots of
it.
And solar energy experts at an energy efficiency seminar say
there's potential for Singapore to develop and sell this
technology.
"Singapore has twice the potential for solar energy, compared to
Germany, a leader in the field." Dr Volkhard Reichmann, Head of
Department of Energy, Coal and Mining at the Economic Affairs
Ministry in Germany, said, "Also you have the big buildings, you
can use photovoltaic energy on the roof but also on in the
facade."
For example, there's an ongoing pilot project to use solar energy
to light common areas in HDB blocks.
But solar energy is still costly.
And Dr Reichmann acknowledged that governments still have
to sponsor the technology through subsidies or
loans.
In Germany, for instance, utilities companies pay households which
help to contribute solar energy to the power grid 50 Euro cents or
80 Singapore cents per kilowatt hour.
Mr Christophe Inglin, Managing Director of Shell Solar Pte Ltd,
said,
"At today's prices, one could argue that it doesn't compete against
the power stations so it does need financial support. But we see
from examples in countries like Japan, US or Western Europe, that
support doesn't cost the government very much and it is
contributing to a vast expansion of the solar power market which in
turn is driving down prices, as you get the economies of
scale."
In Singapore, the Energy Authority Market has estimated that the
cost of solar photovoltic cells to be between $ 0.25 to $0.38 per
kilowatt hour. And this is considerably higher than Power Supply's
current $ 0.1651 per kilowatt hour. EMA adds that solar energy is
viable, if consumers are prepared to pay the higher price. Still,
Singapore is already looking at implementing it.
Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Minister of State for Health and the
Environment, said,
"We are working with several private and public sector partners to
explore and develop test-bedding opportunities. Solar thermal
energy for hot water requirements is already implemented in several
hotels and even private homes. The major challenge is to harness
solar energy for other applications, such as electricity generation
- which is affordable, with a high energy yield. When that happens,
Singapore can reap the benefits.
"Singapore itself, "Mr Inglin added, "with its capacity doesn't
need additional generating capacity. Asia Pacific generally
certainly does.
There's a lot of region that's remote from the grid and where the
grid is very expensive to install because you don't have a dense
urban population like Singapore, so the advantage for Singapore in
developing the know-how and technology is to export this as a
business in the region."
Does the current economy situation makes it viable to
invest in other means of energy or water source? Or should national
interest as in self-reliance comes first and foremost?