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?