Ground-Up Initiative (GUI) is organising Balik Kampung @ Bottle Tree Park on 10.10.10 to bring together multiple organizations to promote and educate the public on the importance of reducing our carbon emissions.

Learn how to start your actions locally so as to reduce CO2 emissions from your lifestyle, while not forgetting to have fun and party as we celebrate your efforts in making a difference for the climate. Come enjoy carbon-free time with your friends and family, accompanied with good food and an array of interesting activities like outdoor green-picnics, home composting workshops, garbage enzyme making, and many more.

Visit the event website or Facebook Group.

Venue: Shanghai, China

Smart grid technology really takes off in Asia in 2010 as a number of governments have launched initiatives to develop the technology and infrastructure needed to upgrade their antiquated electrical grid systems.

However, drivers and roadmaps behind those initiatives are quite diversified. China, India and Russia etc are pursuing a sound, secure and energy-efficient electrical T&D networks to meet the surging electricity demand of tommorrow, while Japan, South Korea and Australia etc are investing in IT and demand side to make electricity networks smarter, greener and customer-centric.

How to align their efforts in line for future cross-boarder cooperation? ?How to differentiate your market entry strategy to fit into each individual market in Asia? How to maximize your ROI while striving to be a trend setter?

SMARTricity Asia Congress is a high-level strategic platform for Asian governments, power generators, operator, utilities and distribution companies to address most critical issues in adopting smart technologies to achieve energy T&D efficiency and reliability in Asia.

Visit the event website for details and registration.

JFPS Group will hold the “Photovoltaic System & Grid Integration Forum 2010” on November 9-10,2010. This forum will have PV grid integration discussions on “Policy & Market Development” and “Technology R&D and Application”.

Expected 200+ Attendees will come from government officials, power groups, PV system integrators, PV cell and module manufacturers, PV products testing and certification service providers, PV components manufacturers and related PV materials and equipments manufacturers.

The forum will focus on:

• Discussion on grid integration of photovoltaic system and smart grid construction
• Unveiling & implementation of Chinese on-grid photovoltaic feed-in tariff
• Key grid integration technology in BIPV projects
• Analysis of China’s newest subsidy policy on grid integration of solar energy
• Difficulties in developing large scale grid-connected photovoltaic power plants in China

For more info, please visit www.pvgridintegration.com or email Fanny Wang at marketing@jfpsgroup.com.cn.

Various forces are converging to make green mobility a reality in the not-too-distant future. The Green Mobility 2010 conference in Shanghai provides an interactive gathering for all the decision-makers, and will cover all critical issues of advanced vehicles including energy resources, batteries, vehicles and infrastructure, with discussions around policy initiatives, energy diversity, technology aspects, and commercialization.

Visit the conference website for details and registration.

1. Four companies, namely, Rolls Royce, Vestas, SP PowerGrid and CEI Contract Manufacturing entered into strategic partnerships with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) today to develop smart grid and distributed energy solutions. This was announced at the groundbreaking ceremony of its smart grid research facility of the Experimental Power Grid Centre (EPGC) by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Ravi Menon, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade & Industry.

2. The technologies and solutions being jointly developed will form the key components to be integrated into the intelligent grid system. Said Mr. Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman, A*STAR: “Smart grid R&D is critical to transforming Singapore into a smart energy economy and EPGC is an important enabling infrastructure that will bring us a step closer to realising an intelligent national energy grid. With this infrastructure in place, Singapore will be well-positioned to take R&D in energy solutions to the next level.”

3. He added: “Innovation and development of energy technologies are vital to the growth of the global smart grid industry, which is expected to be worth US$187 billion by 2015 . As Singapore moves towards its goal of becoming Asia’s Innovation Capital, the EPGC will provide an innovative research platform for public-private partnerships in the emerging area of energy technologies. We are pleased to have garnered strong interest from a mix of MNCs and local enterprises to collaborate with us in this endeavour. This is a strong endorsement of the potential of EPGC. We hope to anchor more companies to further shape the R&D agenda and to translate research into useful applications for economic goals.”

About the EPGC

4. When completed in 2011, the EPGC research facility will be the first experimental smart grid research facility of its kind in South-east Asia. It will be built by a consortium led by Meiden Singapore. Together with the Command and Control Centre in Fusionopolis, the EPGC will be a world-class research centre to usher in new smart grid technologies for intelligent and decentralised power distribution, interconnection and utilisation.

5. Commenting on the R&D conducted at the centre, Associate Professor Ashwin Khambadkone, Programme Director, EPGC said: “Our activities will be positioned upstream, towards the research and development of new technologies with a view to commercialisation in the future. By leveraging on the wide spectrum of existing research capabilities across A*STAR’s research institutes, from materials engineering and packaging to infocomms, data communications, and high performance computing, the centre is able to accommodate a wide range of R&D activities in areas such as intelligent grids, integration of renewable power generation and vehicle to grid systems, and the development of new generation energy management systems.”

6. Dr Keith Carpenter, Executive Director of A*STAR’s Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES), where the facility is located, added: “The EPGC is proof of the Singapore government’s serious effort to contribute to the future of smart energy systems. Locating the facility at Jurong Island will not only spur research activities due to the proximity to available sources of energy such as natural gas and hydrogen, it will also complement ongoing research programmes at ICES on energy, including biofuels and solid oxide fuel cells.”

Making Singapore a Living Laboratory

7. By working with partner agencies, namely the Economic Development Board (EDB), Energy Market Authority (EMA), JTC Corporation (JTC) and National Environment Agency (NEA), EPGC is able to participate in this whole-of-government approach to make Singapore a ‘living laboratory’ for companies around the world to develop, test-bed and implement new energy technologies.

8. Professor Low Teck Seng, Deputy Managing Director for Research, A*STAR commented: “EPGC, with its focus on upstream R&D, is an integral part of the entire smart grid value chain. With EPGC, we will be able to attract companies seeking to carry out smart grid RD&D in this region to anchor their activities in Singapore. Being the first experimental research facility in the South-east Asian region, EPGC has a competitive advantage in being able to provide companies wishing to have a foothold in the smart grid sector, either locally or globally, the opportunities to participate in ‘live’ demonstration of power grid-related projects right here in Singapore.”

This is a press release from A*STAR.

a) Procurement of 1MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) panels worth about $2.3 million from the Renewable Energy Corporation (REC). This is by far the single largest solar panel procurement in Singapore to date. The solar panels will be implemented at six HDB precincts covering about 3,000 residential units; and

b) Collaboration with Camp Dresser & McKee (CDM) to develop a modeling tool to quantify and formulate a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) on sustainability environmental targets in developing Punggol as an Eco-Town for the tropics. This will enable a more effective design for sustainability, and support HDB’s planning efforts to enhance resource efficiency and livability within Punggol Eco-Town.

2. The announcement today marks a key milestone for HDB as it progresses towards a more eco-friendly and sustainable environment for public housing. CEO of HDB, Mr Tay Kim Poh, said, “As the largest developer in Singapore, HDB can play a leading role in supporting Singapore’s efforts towards sustainable development. We see a lot of potential in developing clean, renewable energy; and particularly solar energy, given our extensive coverage of HDB blocks all over Singapore. We also see a lot of potential in Punggol, our youngest town, and we aim to further our efforts in developing it as Singapore’s first Eco-Town. Hence, we are excited about our partnership with REC and CDM. These initiatives will support our efforts to providing the best possible homes and living environment for our residents.”

Procurement of Solar PV panels

3. The procurement of solar PV panels is part of HDB’s Solar Capability Building Program for Public Housing, a wide-scale testbedding project which is funded by the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Sustainable Development (IMCSD).

4. These PV panels will be installed in 6 precincts at Jurong, Aljunied, Telok Blangah, Bishan, Ang Mo Kio and Jalan Besar commencing in the 4th quarter of 2010. A total of about 3,000 residential units will benefit from this procurement.

5. Founded in Norway, REC is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated player in the solar industry. It is also one of the world’s largest producers of polysilicon and wafers for solar applications, and a leading manufacturer of solar cells and modules. REC will provide the PV panels, which will be produced locally.

Developing Punggol as an Eco-Town

6. HDB is reinforcing its commitment in the area of sustainable development in its public housing estates. One of these initiatives is the first non-commercial collaboration with CDM to develop a modeling tool to quantify and formulate a set of KPIs, particularly in the areas of:

• Water Reduction
• Energy Reduction
• Waste Reduction
• Ambient Air Temperature
• Provision of Town Greenery
• Alternative Transportation Utilization

7. As Singapore’s youngest town, Punggol is equipped with green spaces for spatial relief and community use, and the necessary elements and facilities to embrace sustainable living. CDM’s Neyasdurai Centre in Singapore will help to develop the Urban Systems Model to support planning and design decisions. The results from the collaboration will translate into HDB’s planning and sustainability design processes for the development of Punggol as Singapore’s first Eco-Town.

8. CDM has a 36-year history in Singapore and has been involved in many local water supply, waste water, drainage, and solid waste projects. This collaboration will commence from 12 July 2010 till end December 2010. Depending on the findings, the collaboration may be extended to 31 March 2011.

9. More details of HDB’s partnership with REC and CDM could be found in Annex A (PDF 30KB) and B (PDF 20KB) respectively.

This is a press release from HDB.

With Asia emerging as a leading clean technology investment hub, Clean Technology World Asia is launched to connect capital with clean technology innovations across major sectors in Asia.

It’s a platform where investors, financiers, energy users, governments, clean technology innovators and business leaders convene to identify investment opportunities, raise capital, access licensing rights to new innovative technologies and form strategic partnerships.

Visit the website for more info and registration.

This conference will promote achieving sustainability in workplaces through sustainable leadership and green business solutions. The main themes of the 2010 conference will centre on important management issues, such as how sustainability practices will affect workplace relations, skill demands and career opportunities, to operational issues such as carbon emissions mitigation practices in the workplace. It will feature case studies from companies who will be showcasing how they have driven and developed sustainable business practices in their organisations.

For more information and to register please go to our website www.nationalsustainabilityconference.com

Grace Tan, Sustainability Executive (Singapore)

Office of Environmental Sustainability, University of Singapore

Phone: +65 6516 1983; Email: grace_tan@nus.edu.sg

Office of Environmental Sustainability

2 Estate Office Drive, Singapore 117587

National University of Singapore

T: +65 6516 1983; F: +65 6778 6031

W: www.nus.edu.sg/oes

Karen Treacy, Events Coordinator (Sydney)

Workplace Research Centre, University of Sydney

Phone: + 61 2 93515624; Email: karen.treacy@sydney.edu.au

Workplace Research Centre

Storie Dixson Wing, H10

Faculty of Economics and Business, The University of Sydney

NSW 2006 Australia

T: +61 2 9351 5626; F: +61 2 9351 5615

W: www.wrc.org.au

In conjunction with the campaign, Low Carbon Singapore is organising a quiz for our readers. Answer any one of the three questions below and you stand to win an exclusive bag made by recycling used ad banners (see sample on the right). Answers to the questions can be found at the Go Green with SMRT website.

1. What is this year’s campaign message?
2. Describe why it is Better by Bus.
3. Describe one of SMRT’s green practices.

To participate, send an email to us with your full name, NRIC, contact number, and the answer to any one of the three questions. The closing date is 30 June 2010. Five winners with the correct answers will be selected and notified to collect the bags. Take part in the quiz today!

SMRT is organising a ‘Be Spotted and Win’ promotion this month. Make your own “I’m Going Green with SMRT” badge and wear it to show your support. Be spotted wearing the badge by SMRT’s mascot Greenie at selected dates and MRT stations and you can win free travel passes.

To find out more info and download the badge, visit the SMRT website at http://www.gogreenwithsmrt.com/.