Cheaper, better solar panels are here. But maximising adoption in Singapore will take creativity

Mr Rajoo, who is business development manager for commercial and industrial sectors at Eigen Energy, added: “Ultimately, the next phase of market growth will depend on how easily we can bring zero-upfront financing to the masses and maximise trickier roof spaces, turning solar panels into a standard, everyday feature for homes.”

A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR SOLAR POWER?

Overcoming obstacles to the broader adoption of solar energy and boosting Singapore’s solar power generation is not just a matter of lowering costs and clearing red tape.

It is also about transforming solar infrastructure, analysts said. 

Dr Reindl from SERIS said that Singapore will have to “think out of the box”, such as embracing floating solar panels on water bodies, for example, the 60-MWp floating solar power plant on Tengeh reservoir.

“Apart from inland reservoirs, we can also imagine floating solar in near-shore areas that are away from shipping routes and nature-protected areas.”  

National water agency PUB has installed about 67 MWp of solar capacity, through rooftop PV systems at six facilities and floating PV systems at three reservoirs.

There are plans to deploy future large-scale floating solar PV systems at  Lower Seletar Reservoir and Pandan Reservoir.

The 60-MWp floating PV system at Tengeh Reservoir, which began operations in 2021, consists of about 122,000 solar panels spanning 45 hectares, generating enough clean energy to power around 16,000 four-room HDB flats.