Solar Nova Programme
According to Housing Development Board (HDB) (2021), HDB in Singapore has launched the 7th SolarNova program solar leasing tender, in collaboration with the Singapore Economic Development Board, to accelerate the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and boost the growth of the solar industry. The HDB Green Towns Program, which aims to make HDB towns more environmentally friendly and enjoyable, is based largely on the SolarNova program. HDB has already pledged to a total solar capacity of 380 MWp for around 8,400 HDB blocks, enough to power 95,000 4-room flats with solar energy. In 2019, HDB set a target of 540 MWp by 2030, and the latest SolarNova tender includes 1,290 HDB blocks and 99 government sites with a total solar capacity of 75 MWp. In the same article from (HDB, 2021), HDB implemented Green Towns Program, launched in 2020, aims to promote sustainable living in all current HDB towns by 2030, with a focus on reducing grid energy usage through solar energy.
With renewable resources for energy running low, taking a
different approach with what is being discovered and how it can be harvested
from the sun turning it to our daily energy usage. Using the different types of
ways that solar can generate electricity and how different systems that were
being used will greatly benefit the HDB dwellers and even other structures
users.
Pertaining to the usage of energy, using renewable resources
for energy generation is no longer a luxury. Technological advancements also
support the use of renewable sources for energy generation. As energy can be
exercised directly from the sun, solar energy is one of the promising renewable
coffers that use to produce electricity (International Renewable Energy Agency,
2020). There are two ways that use solar energy in electricity generation, (1)
solar PV and (2) concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP generally produces
electricity for large-scale power shops by using glasses to concentrate sun rays
(International Renewable Energy Agency, 2020). Solar PV systems are generally
installed in rooftops of homes and marketable structures and convert solar
radiation from the sun into electricity (Wong; Corin, 2019). Solar PV systems
are more convenient than CSP as they can be combined with rooftops, erecting
facades, or arranged in lower heights. The significant advantage of solar PV
system is absorbing free energy from the sun. Therefore, it's one of the popular
renewable energy technologies to achieve sustainable structure design (Saber
etal, 2014).
In general, PV systems are either off-grid operations or
on-grid/ grid-connected operations. Profitable impulses from separate countries
and the rapid-fire technological advances permit the use of grid-connected
solar PV shops in a simple, effective, and profitable manner (De Lima etal,
2017). In a grid-connected system, an inverter is used to connect and attend a
PV array to the grid, converting the direct current (DC) electricity to the
grid’s current electricity at the grid voltage position. Hence, there's no need
for fresh energy storehouse. For such a grid-connected system, the grid serves
as the storehouse medium, supplying energy to the grid as long as there's
sufficient sun (Mondal; Islam, 2017). Grid-connected PV systems can be mounted
on the structure facade and rooftops of structures, as well as parking lots or shelters.
These systems lower the reduction of energy costs and increase profit by
exporting energy to the grid. Still, there are several disadvantages of being
grid-connected similar as advanced cost and incapability to store electricity
(Lau S.-K etal, 2021).
Off-grid is also known as standalone solar PV systems. The
standalone solar PV system can serve without counting on the grid. Thus, a
storehouse battery is demanded. PV and batteries should be duly sized during
the original design of a grid-connected solar PV system with a battery storehouse
to achieve effectiveness. New energy generated during times with low or no
cargo charges the battery, but it could be damaged by charging control which
results in overcharging. According to Huang etal (2010), this will drop the
electrical force’s service time and storehouse energy capacity. Off-grid, being
fully independent from the grid, gives the occasion to store energy and great
support in terms of expandability as per the energy demand. Still, there are new
costs for purchasing, maintaining, and replacing batteries.
Solar PV systems can be mounted on facades or rooftops in
structures, with the former being the further popular option (Ghaleb, B; Asif,
M, 2021). Solar PV panel is one of the implicit operations for the roof. With
the combination of solar PV and having a hybrid of on/off-grid connected
operations usage in HDB, this will greatly reduce the high dependency on fossil
fuel in Singapore. Being supported by the usage of PV power generator may serve
as a sustainable way for Singapore, the cost of maintenance fee and the
integration of solar panels on top the HDB may still be a concern for the
government and the dwellers. Even with being more sustainable, the dwellers may
not understand as they are not fully educated on this and not knowing if new
fees would incur into their monthly bill. Thus, creating confusion if the
message is not conveyed properly to the dwellers.
In conclusion, implementing the SolaNova Programme
will greatly boost the natural energy intake from the sun due to the radiation
and light. Having great potential for the future to fully utilise the usage of
solar energy with further research that should determine obstacles,
requirements and drivers that relates to the outlook of the PV building
integrations. However, I feel that there are more pros than cons if this were being looked at in the long run. Therefore, SolarNova Programme would be
the future of Singapore power source.
References
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Blaabjerg F., & Baba, A. F. (2019, August 15). Performance analysis of a
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De Lima, L. C., & De Araujo Ferreira L. (2017, February
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