Draft #2
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 mainly 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, which aims to promote sustainable living in all current HDB towns by 2030, with a focus on reducing grid energy usage through solar energy.
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 is used to produce electricity (International Renewable Energy Agency, 2020). 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 into 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.
There are two ways that use solar energy in electricity generation: (1) solar PV and (2) concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP 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 on 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, erected facades, or arranged in a lower height. The significant advantage of solar PV systems is absorbing free energy from the sun. Therefore, it's one of the popular renewable energy technologies to achieve sustainable structure design (Saber et al, 2014).
In general, PV systems are either off-grid or on-grid/ grid-connected operations. Profitable impulses from separate countries and rapid-fire technological advances permit the use of grid-connected solar PV shops in a simple, effective, and profitable manner (De Lima et al, 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 a 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 sunlight (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, such as advanced cost and incapability to store electricity (Lau S.-K et al, 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 properly 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 et al (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 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 reduce the high dependency on fossil fuel in Singapore. Being supported by the usage of PV power generators may serve as a sustainable way for Singapore, the cost of maintenance fee and the integration of solar panels on top of 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. At the same time, Singapore is not an everyday sunny country and has its bad days or even weeks of minimal sunlight, especially during the monsoon season. Clouds will be covering the sun majority of the time. This would affect the harvesting of sunlight during those periods of days.
In conclusion, the implementation of 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 relate to the outlook of the PV building integrations. However, I personally feel that there are more pros than cons if this were being looked in the long run. Therefore, SolarNova Programme would be the future of Singapore's power source.
References
Akpolat, A. N., Erkan D., Kuzucuoglu, A. E., Yang, Y. H., Blaabjerg F., & Baba, A. F. (2019, August 15). Performance analysis of a grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic system. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/8/8/905
De Lima, L. C., & De Araujo Ferreira L. (2017, February 21). Performance analysis of a grid connected photovoltaic system in northeastern Brazil. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0973082616308742?via%3Dihub
Ghaleb B., & Asif M. (2021, December 14). Application of solar PV in commercial buildings: Utilizability of rooftops. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378778821010586?via%3Dihub
Ghenai C., & Bettayeb M. (2019, January 7). Modelling and performance analysis of a stand-alone hybrid solar PV/Fuel Cell/Diesel Generator power system for university building. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360544219300210?via%3Dihub
Hossain Mondal, M. A. (2010, December 31). Potential and viability of grid-connected solar PV system in Bangladesh. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S096014811000546X?via%3Dihub
Housing Development Board. (2022, February 25). HDB to bring solar energy to over 8,000 blocks through SolarNova programme. Housing & Development Board (HDB). https://www.hdb.gov.sg/about-us/news-and-publications/press-releases/HDB-to-bring-solar-energy
Huang, B. J., Hsu, P. C., Wu, M. S., & Ho, P. Y. (2010, March 12). System dynamic model and charging control of lead-acid battery for stand-alone solar PV system. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0038092X10000794?via%3Dihub
International Renewable Energy Agency. (2020). Solar energy. IRENA. https://www.irena.org/Energy-Transition/Technology/Solar-energy
Lau, S. K., Kosoric V., Bieri M., & Nobre, A. M. (2021, March 1). Identification of factors influencing development of photovoltaic (PV) implementation in Singapore. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/5/2630
Peter Wong, S. P., & Cronin L. (2019, February 1). Drivers and anticipated outcomes of solar photovoltaic projects - The construction practitioners' perspectives. IOPScience. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/471/11/112006
Saber, E. M., Lee, S. E., Manthapuri S., Wang Y., & Deb C. (2014, June 2). PV (photovoltaics) performance evaluation and simulation-based energy yield prediction for tropical buildings. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360544214005477?via%3Dihub
Shafeeq S. (2021, October 19). Solar power, imported cleaner energy among focus of Singapore's low-carbon future: Gan Kim Yong. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/solar-power-imported-cleaner-energy-among-focus-of-singapores-low-carbon
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