Speech by Andrew Tan, National Environment Agency CEO, at The Solar Pioneer Awards Ceremony 2011 [Speeches]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

Introduction

I am happy to be here with you this morning at the Solar Pioneer Awards Ceremony 2011, jointly organized by the Economic Development Board (EDB), National Environment Agency (NEA) and Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS). This ceremony coincides with the inaugural PV Asia Pacific Expo and the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW). For those of you joining us from abroad, I extend a warm welcome to Singapore.

The Road Ahead – Rapid Urbanisation, Economic Growth and Energy Diversification

Just two days ago, the world population reached 7 billion people. Half that number lives in cities, with another half waiting to enter. If you were to view the world from space, you will see a globe that is dotted with thousands of lights, some brighter, others dimmer. Each of those dots represents a city, town or a village. And you ask yourself – where will we find all this power to light up our homes and industry? As cities grow, the demand for energy increases, so does the price, and all indications point to the end of an era of cheap energy. Read more

Singapore to have region’s first floating PV pilot project [News]

By Joyce Hooi, The Business Times, 3 Nov 2011.

In land-scarce Singapore, after building upwards comes building on water. The Economic Development Board (EDB) is going to look at how it can float solar photovoltaic systems in the country’s reservoirs, instead of fitting them conventionally on rooftops.

The $11 million floating photovoltaic (PV) pilot project was announced at the Solar Pioneer Awards yesterday, and is set to be a first for the region.

Tengeh Reservoir has been picked as the site for this 2 megawatt project because its isolated nature means that the floating structure will be less likely to get in the way of intrepid canoeists and fishing hobbyists.

The project will start next year and is expected to be up and running by 2013. Read more

Singapore to set up $11 million floating solar project in reservoir [News]

By Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, 3 Nov 2011.

Singapore will build its first floating solar system – the first of its kind in the region – in the calm waters of the western Tengeh Reservoir.

The innovative project, led by the Economic Development Board (EDB) and national water agency PUB, will cost $11 million and be operational by 2013.

National Environment Agency (NEA) chief executive Andrew Tan announced this yesterday, noting that the pilot project will be studied for the potential of using reservoir water surfaces for these systems to generate electricity.

This is to overcome Singapore’s land constraints: Solar panels need large land mass to generate a large amount of energy. In Singapore, they are usually built on rooftops. Read more

Understanding the Solar Landscape in Singapore with the National Solar Repository

The National Solar Repository of Singapore (NSR) was launched in Nov last year, and is administered by the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS), the Economic Development Board of Singapore (EDB), Singapore Polytechnic, and Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

The NSR serves as a one-stop platform for those interested in understanding the solar landscape in Singapore. The NSR publishes a map and database of the solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed at commercial, industrial and residential buildings in Singapore. Read more

S’pore urged to look at new niche areas to attract more investments [News]

By Ryan Huang, Channel NewsAsia, 3 Aug 2011.

Singapore should look at investing in new niche areas that will allow global firms to tap growth in the region.

These include areas such as data analytics, green manufacturing and complex supply chain solutions.

That is one of the latest recommendations from the Economic Development Board (EDB’s) International Advisory Council which held its 11th meeting in Singapore.

The council makes its recommendations for Singapore’s economic strategy once every two years. Read more

Punggol eco-town to test-bed energy solutions for public housing [News]

By Dylan Loh, Channel NewsAsia, 1 Aug 2011.

One block of public housing in Singapore’s Punggol eco-town will be a test-bed for environmentally-friendly energy solutions.

The project is a collaboration between Japanese electronics giant Panasonic and government agencies – the Housing and Development Board, the Economic Development Board and the Energy Market Authority.

It aims to get 10 households in the block of HDB flats to participate and may include more homes later.

An integrated energy system will help families reduce their carbon footprint and utilities bill.

Energy-producing solar panels will be fitted on the block of flats and these will power lifts and lighting during the day. Read more

Panasonic to commence Asia’s first Total Energy Solutions test-bed project for public housing in Singapore [Press Releases]

1 August 2011, Singapore – Panasonic, in partnership with the Housing & Development Board (HDB), Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), announced the commencement of a first-of-its-kind test-bed of total energy solutions in Singapore. This test-bed project will see Panasonic utilise and integrate its energy creation, storage and saving solutions at an existing public residential building to realise greener lifestyle. The project will commence this year and will run till 2013. The test will be conducted at the Punggol Eco Town, which has been marked as one of the key “living labs” for urban sustainability solutions in Singapore.

Mr. Fumio Ohtsubo, President of Panasonic Corporation commented at the event, “Singapore, with its excellent infrastructure and talent base, is an ideal living-lab to test-bed our energy solutions. I expect this collaboration to be a pioneer endeavour to contribute towards a greener lifestyle in Singapore and the region with our technology”. Read more

Launch Of Singapore’s Electric Vehicle Test-Bed [Press Releases]

The inter-agency Electric Vehicle (EV) Taskforce, led by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA), announced the launch of the electric vehicle test-bed in Singapore today. The objective of the EV test-bed is to test and gauge different EV prototypes and charging technologies given Singapore’s urbanised environment and road conditions, before deciding whether to roll it out for mass adoption.

Key features of EV test-bed

2 For a start, the EV test-bed will be launched with:

• Three outdoor and two indoor charging stations;
• First batch of five Mitsubishi i-MiEVs;
• Four smart electric drive (ed) Daimler vehicles;
• First batch of participants comprising LTA, Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Mitsubishi Corporation and Senoko Energy [1].

3 The test-bed will focus on gathering data and insights to guide the planning for future deployment of EVs, including the optimal ratio of charging stations to vehicles. For the convenience of the test-bed participants, charging stations have been designed to automatically collect data on the EV users’ charging patterns. To provide an adequate period for data collection, the test-bed will be extended by one year until end of 2013. (Please see Annex for location of EV charging stations). Read more

The Green Business Times Guide to Singapore Government Funding and Incentives for the Environment

Singapore is well-known as a clean and green city with the government striving for environmental sustainability while growing the economy. The government has also identified Environmental and Water Technologies (EWT) including Clean Energy as strategic areas where Singapore has a competitive edge and which could generate future economic growth.

To accelerate the growth of the environmental industry and to maintain Singapore’s image as a clean and green city, the government has initiated several funding and incentive schemes related to energy efficiency, clean energy, green buildings, water and environmental technologies, green transport, waste minimisation, environmental management system, environmental initiatives, clean development mechanism, and green IT.

The funding and incentive schemes are provided by government agencies such as:

• Building and Construction Authority (BCA)
• Economic Development Board (EDB)
• Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA)
• Land Transport Authority (LTA)
• Energy Market Authority (EMA)
• National Environment Agency (NEA)
• National Parks Board (NParks)
• PUB, the national water agency (PUB)
• SPRING Singapore (SPRING)
• Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)

To help businesses understand what’s available, we have compiled a list of 33 government funding and incentives for the environment:

1. Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance Scheme (EASe)
2. Grant for Energy Efficient Technologies (GREET)
3. One-Year Accelerated Depreciation Allowance for Energy Efficient Equipment and Technology (One-Year ADAS)
4. Design for Efficiency Scheme (DfE)
5. SCEM Training Grant
6. Clean Energy Research and Testbedding Programme (CERT)
7. Energy Research Development Fund (ERDF)
8. Solar Capability Scheme (SCS)
9. Market Development Fund
10. Green Mark Incentive Scheme for Existing Buildings (GMIS-EB)
11. Green Mark Incentive Scheme for New Buildings (GMIS-NB)
12. Green Mark Incentive Scheme – Design Prototype (GMIS-DP)
13. Green Mark Gross Floor Area Incentive Scheme (GM-GFA)
14. MND Research Fund for the Built Environment
15. A*STAR-MND Joint Grant Call
16. Pilot Incentive Scheme for Green Roofs
17. Gross Floor Area Incentives for Outdoor Refreshment Area on Rooftops
18. Water Efficiency Fund (WEF)
19. Fast-Track Environmental and Water Technologies Incubator Scheme (Fast-Tech)
20. Technology Pioneer (TechPioneer) Scheme
21. Incentive for Research and Innovation Scheme (IRIS)
22. Environmental Technology Capability Development Programme (EnviroTech CDP)
23. Innovation Voucher Scheme
24. Innovation for Environmental Sustainability (IES) Fund
25. Land Transport Innovation Fund (LTIF)
26. Green Vehicle Rebate (GVR)
27. Transport Technology Innovation and Development Scheme (TIDES+)
28. 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Fund
29. Environment Technology Research Programme (ETRP)
30. Local Enterprise Technical Assistance Scheme (LETAS)
31. 3P Partnership Fund
32. Clean Development Mechanism Documentation Grant
33. Infocomm Leadership and Development Programme (iLEAD)

If we missed out any funding or incentive scheme, do let us know. Thanks! Read more

Inaugural Energy Efficiency National Partnership (EENP) Awards [Press Releases]

For the first time, the industrial sector will be recognised for its efforts in implementing energy efficiency improvement programmes to reduce energy wastage and improve energy efficiency. Organised by the National Environment Agency (NEA), Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the Economic Development Board (EDB), the inaugural Energy Efficiency National Partnership (EENP) Awards Ceremony will be held in conjunction with the National Energy Efficiency Conference 2011 on the evening of 24 May 2011.

The Energy Efficiency National Partnership (EENP) programme, a key recommendation of the Singapore Sustainable Development Blueprint to promote a culture of sustained energy efficiency improvements in industries, was launched on 29 April 2010.

Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive Officer, National Environment Agency, said, “Energy efficiency helps boost profits, lower costs and reduce greenhouse gases. More and more companies see the benefits of implementing energy efficient practices while doing their part for the environment. Through the Energy Efficiency National Partnership (EENP) and the EENP Awards, we are providing companies with a key platform to exchange their expertise and best practices, while recognising those who have achieved high standards in energy efficiency. We hope more will join the EENP network and work with us to promote an energy efficient and sustainable Singapore.” Read more