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During my time at Schneider Electric, I’ve had the privilege of observing firsthand the remarkable progress Singapore has made in its journey towards a more sustainable future. One area that holds tremendous potential is the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). In fact, replacing a single conventional bus in Singapore with an electric one could lower emissions by up to 56%.
However, as we scale up our EV population, we must address the energy bottlenecks that come with it. Based on a roadmap developed by the Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University, replacing 532,000 conventional vehicles with electric ones could reduce emissions by around 30%.
But this would also require 3.1 terrawatt hours of energy – equivalent to 6.9% of the country’s electricity consumption today.
They would also be demanding energy mostly at the same time, creating bottlenecks in the power grid. This is an issue that needs to be resolved if Singapore is to meet its green goals.
Microgrids are one possible solution to the power bottleneck problem that is likely to develop as Singapore scales up its EV population. These are small-scale power systems that operate outside a national grid system and, with the help of energy management systems, could smooth generation and demand across the island.
The inclusion of microgrids in Singapore’s national energy system would allow consumers of electricity to become prosumers – meaning they would consume electricity from the national grid at times of the day when it makes sense but also produce electricity for the national grid at other times.
Right pieces in place
Singapore has already made commendable strides in providing EV infrastructure. Islandwide, we boast 13,800 registered EV charging points, among which 6,700 are publicly accessible. Half of all the carparks at Housing & Development Board estates have EV chargers.
The national energy framework and infrastructure are also evolving in ways that are likely to support EV adoption.
Microgrids a good fit
As a leader in the energy industry, I’m excited for to see how microgrids can fit neatly within Singapore’s energy infrastructure plan. They hold tremendous potential— their ability to work alongside the main power grid or operate independently when needed could support burgeoning national energy demands.
In fact, large energy consumers that deploy privately managed microgrids alongside battery energy storage systems and energy management systems could reduce their energy bills while also supporting national energy demands created by the increase of EVs on Singapore’s roads.
As we move forward, it’s heartening to see that Singapore has already taken initial steps towards the introduction of microgrids. The testbed on Pulau Ubin and the experimental urban microgrid at the Singapore Institute of Technology’s new Punggol campus are just a few examples of the innovative spirit that drives our nation.
Singapore still has room to install more of such distributed energy systems across the country. Microgrids might just be the game-changer we need in building our vision for a sustainable future. With limited space for very large power generation facilities, microgrids represent a lower-cost alternative that can support our net-zero ambitions.
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