Floating Photovoltaic Systems for Land Scarce Singapore

 

By Dr Carlos Rodriguez and Dr Thomas Reindl

Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore

Solar photovoltaic (PV) installations can be found throughout the world. It is expected that by 2050 these installations, along with wind power turbines, will be the primary source of renewable electricity, globally. Already, more than 750 GWp of solar capacity has been installed [1] and the 1-Terawatt mark is expected to be surpassed in 2023.

However, so prevalent are PV installations, that many of the best locations for solar system deployment are already occupied. This issue has arisen due to the combination of land costs, competing uses for available space, and the density of the built environment. In Singapore, where space is generally scarce, this problem is particularly pronounced.

To address the issue, researchers from the Solar Energy Research Institute Singapore (SERIS), turn to water bodies as possible areas to deploy future solar systems. So vast are the world’s water expanses, that it is estimated that using just 10% of the world’s man-made inland reservoirs would provide more than 4,000 GWp of solar-based energy [2].

Today, SERIS leads the way in establishing systems for the testbedding of new technologies and methodologies in the development and deployment of Floating Solar or Floating PV (FPV).

In 2016, SERIS, together with Singapore’s national water agency PUB and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), established the world’s largest testbed for Floating Solar at Tengeh Reservoir in Singapore to better understand the technology. This effort alone sees ten different floating solar systems installed and tested against each other. With a broad range of sensors deployed at the site, more than 500 parameters, from system data to environmental conditions, are captured in real time.

Although inland reservoir-based floating solar systems have become commercially available, the global FPV industry is still young, and research on FPV technologies, optimised system design, operation & maintenance approaches, and long-term reliability continues at SERIS.


Safe and reliable electrical wiring systems, including the electrical link between the floating system and the grid connection point on land are under investigation at NUS. At SERIS, research in this area is led by Dr Carlos Rodriguez.


With reservoir-based floating solar being deployed around the globe, the researchers at SERIS are now looking to tap other water-based spaces for future floating solar systems. Together with industry partners, and utilising research facilities hosted at NUS, including TCOMS, the researchers at SERIS are shifting their focus to near-shore, and even off-shore spaces. Exploring marine spaces, opens up the opportunity to combine floating solar with other use cases such as fish farming, desalination, or green hydrogen production.

Photo-1-crop
"By moving to marine floating solar we have the great opportunity to solve more than one problem for Singapore. Apart from renewable electricity, we can also produce food, fresh water, and green hydrogen for a sustainable future.”, says Dr Thomas Reindl, Deputy CEO, SERIS.

The deployment of floating solar not only holds immense potential for future green energy solutions, but promises  a multitude of additional benefits that will ultimately contribute environmental and sustainability solutions that the world so urgently needs.

References

[1] International Energy Agency (IEA) (2021). 2021 Snapshot of Global PV Markets. https://iea-pvps.org/snapshot-reports/snapshot-2021/ 

[2] World Bank Group; ESMAP; SERIS. 2019. Where Sun Meets Water (Vol. 2): Floating Solar Market Report


Carlos-Rodriguez-Gallegos
Dr Carlos RODRIGUEZ is Research Fellow and Head of Solar System Technology Group, Solar Energy Systems Cluster at the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore



DrThomasREINDL
Dr Thomas Reindl is Deputy CEO of the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) and Principal Research Fellow (equivalent to Associate Professor) at the National University of Singapore (NUS).




Contact

Dr Carlos Rodriguez
E: carlos.rodriguez@nus.edu.sg

Dr Thomas Reindl
E: thomas.reindl@nus.edu.sg


SERIS Contact
P: (+65) 6516 4119
https://www.seris.nus.edu.sg/

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