According to the Housing Development Board (2022), the SolarNova programme, spearheaded by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB), aims to encourage the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in Singapore and develop the nation's solar industry. By adopting green construction characteristics, the initiative also plays a crucial role in the HDB Green Towns Programme (GTP), which aims to make HDB towns more sustainable. HDB has set a greater goal in its seventh tender by employing a 540-megawatt peak (MWp) of solar energy by 2030 throughout 1,290 HDB blocks and 99 government sites (Cheah, 2022). This time, the programme will involve six national agencies: the Singapore Monetary Authority, the Ministry of Education, the People's Association, the Singapore Polytechnic, the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board, and the Ministry of Health. According to the Housing Development Board (2022), encouraging the use of solar energy is also a key initiative in the HDB Green Transportation Plan that will achieve net-zero energy consumption in Singapore's HDB heartlands. Solar panel installation would take place in lots and be finished by 2025. With this, HDB will act by promoting greater adoption and use of solar panels. This reduces the use of fossil fuels in the production of electricity.
The webpage also postulated that this initiative promotes and aggregates demand solar PV among government entities to get economies of scale and propel Singapore's solar sector forward. With ASEAN developing as one of the fastest-growing solar energy markets, the region has embarked on several solar power initiatives, including the SolarNova programme in Singapore (EDB, 2022). From my perspective, the economic benefits and environmental benefits of using solar PV systems will make a positive influence on people's lives.
One economic benefit of installing solar panels would be that it would allow a household to reduce their electricity bills. The most recent tender also saw the installation of additional solar panels in the heartlands, illustrating the effectiveness of prior tenders in increasing the residents' quality of life. According to Lee (2022), one such person is Mr Arun Murthy, who installed 100 solar panels on the roof of his landed property in Bukit Timah. He saved $830 by spending $370 on electricity charges instead of $1200 on electricity bills before installing the solar panel. Besides meeting the energy needs of the home, the solar panels generate excess electricity throughout the day, which is sold back to SP Group and then managed and paid for by them (Lee, 2022). This is because solar panels draw energy from a free energy source, the sun. When the panels are linked to an electrical wire, the electricity generated by the panels is used by the house instead of the utility's electricity.
Furthermore, one positive view of the environmental benefits is that the use of solar energy is a suitable alternative to fossil fuels, thereby reducing one’s carbon footprint. 95% of Singapore's electricity is generated from imported natural gas (Andres, 2023). It's one of the cleanest fossil fuels available; burning natural gas produces half the carbon footprint of coal (Teh, 2021). With that, it could significantly reduce the environmental impact in comparison with fossil fuels and not rely on neighbouring countries for a continuous supply of imported gas. Singapore relies on neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Indonesia for liquefied natural gas (LNG) to generate electricity. Due to the steep inflation of LNG (Tan, 2022), solar panels are increasingly installed islandwide.
Apart from that, the SolarNova program also has drawbacks. Singapore usually has a tropical climate, but cloudiness is a problem. This means that on cloudy days less sunlight reaches the solar panels, and therefore less solar energy is produced (Meteorological Services Singapore, n.d.). Furthermore, consistently high temperatures reduce the efficiency of solar cells (Andrews-Speed, 2021). Moreover, according to the Singapore Ministry of Sustainability and Environment (2019), Singapore is a small and land-scarce country, so the use of solar energy can occupy a vast area. Although installing solar panels on roofs can make up for the lack of space for solar panels, there are still challenges. According to Gorman & Bandera (2022), one such challenge is competition for space. This is because installing solar panels can lead to deployments as they compete for rooftop space with other critical uses such as water storage tanks, elevator shafts, air conditioning, tenant parking lots, and recreational areas. Thus, although Singapore is not entirely dependent on renewable energy sources such as solar power, its solar capacity has increased more than nine times since 2015 (Lim, 2019).
To sum up, the SolarNova programme is a successful programme run by EDB and HDB. The programme has enabled Singapore to gain a greater sense of energy independence and security while minimising environmental impact. Although the programme has limitations, some of which are beyond human control, it is correct to say that it has been performing well and is on track to meet its objectives.
References:
Andres, G. (2023, February 7). CNA Explains: Singapore's energy sources and the future of its electricity supply. Channel NewsAsia. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-electricity-sources-natural-gas-renewable-solar-energy-import-3252076#:~:text=About%2095%20per%20cent%20of,it%20releases%20into%20the%20atmosphere.
Andrews-Speed, A. (2021, May 4). Commentary: Why hasn’t solar energy in Singapore taken off in a big way after so long? Channel NewsAsia. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/solar-energy-singapore-panels-cloudy-unpredictable-electricity-1882996
Cheah, M. (2022, February 25). HDB launches 7th solar tender for 1,290 blocks and 99 government sites. The Business Times. https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/international/hdb-launches-7th-solar-tender-1290-blocks-and-99-government-sites
Gorman, M. & Bandera, M. (2022, July 4). Commentary: Why is sunny Singapore not covered with rooftop solar panels? Channel NewsAsia. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/singapore-renewable-energy-rooftop-buildings-solar-electricity-costs-2782796
Housing Development Board(2022, February 25). HDB to Bring Solar Energy to Over 8,000 Blocks through SolarNova Programme. Housing Development Board. https://www.hdb.gov.sg/about-us/news-and-publications/press-releases/HDB-to-bring-solar-energy
Housing Development Board (n.d.). SolarNova. Housing Development Board. https://www.hdb.gov.sg/cs/infoweb/about-us/our-role/smart-and-sustainable-living/solarnova-page
Lee, L. (2022, May 19). The Big Read in short: Amid higher in electricity bills, going green means saving money too. TODAY. https://www.todayonline.com/big-read/big-read-short-amid-higher-electricity-bills-going-green-means-saving-money-too-1898036
Lim, Y. (2022, May 23). Solar City: The surprising places you will find solar panels in Singapore. The Strait Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/graphics/2022/05/singapore-solar-power-panels/index.html?shell
Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment Singapore. (2019, December 30). Why don’t we use 100% renewable energy in Singapore? Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment Singapore. https://www.mse.gov.sg/resource-room/category/2019-12-30-newsletter-why-dont-we-use-100%25-renewable-energy-in-singapore/
Meteorological Services Singapore. (n.d.). Climate of Singapore. Meteorological Services Singapore. http://www.weather.gov.sg/climate-climate-of-singapore/
Tan, A. (2022, February 7). Singapore to tap more green energy with JTC’s solar push. JTC Corporation. https://www.jtc.gov.sg/about-jtc/news-and-stories/feature-stories/singapore-to-tap-more-green-energy-with-jtc-solar-push
Tan, E. (2022, October 6). Spot prices for liquefied natural gas double between January and August. The Strait Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/spot-prices-for-liquefied-natural-gas-double-between-january-and-august
Teh, S. (2021, September 5). Energy from sun viable source of green energy. The Strait Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/energy-from-sun-viable-source-of-green-power