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.

Venue: Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong

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.

The Office of Environmental Sustainability (OES), National University of Singapore and the Workplace Research Centre (WRC), University of Sydney are jointly organising The National Sustainability Conference 2010, entitled “Environmental Up-Skilling & the Green Collar Industry”. This conference builds on the Climate Change @ Work series of conferences which take place in Australia and promote achieving sustainability in the workplace through sustainable leadership and management practice.

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/.

Dear Mr Tay,

Thank you for your interest in ESI’s work and for sending us this email.

One of ESI’s values, as indicated on our website (http://www.esi.nus.edu.sg/portal/AboutUs/VisionMissionandValues/tabid/168/Default.aspx) is:

“We are objective – ESI will cut through biases and attempt to balance the wide spectrum of views.”

The website also states:

“The global energy landscape is one that is changing rapidly. The threat of a worldwide depletion of fossil fuels, the impact of climate change, and the growing importance of geopolitics on energy supplies have led to an urgent call for new energy policies and interventions.

Against this backdrop, the Energy Studies Institute (ESI) seeks to advance the understanding of local, regional and global energy issues through independent research and analyses aimed at addressing, informing and influencing public opinion and policies.”

Fred Singer’s piece in the latest ESI Bulletin was among other pieces on the Economics of Climate Change, Climate Change and Civil Aviation and China’s Climate Change Policy. The four pieces together represented various perspectives and approaches to the subject of climate change.

To be objective, we at ESI must consider all points of view. We cannot ignore the fact that there are large numbers of highly trained people in the world who believe that climate change and global warming are NOT happening.

Also note this statement on the back of each issue of the Bulletin: “The views expressed in each issue are solely those of the individual contributors.”

Hope this helps!

Elspeth Thomson

I have always enjoyed the good quality energy insights and views from ESI’s events and publications.

However, in the March issue of the ESI Bulletin, I was surprised to find an article on “Global Warming: Man-Made or Natural?” by S. Fred Singer, which debunks man-made global warming and includes statements such as: “human activities are not influencing the global climate in a perceptible way”; “increases in the CO2 level caused by man are insignificant to climate change”; and “imaginary problem of man-made global warming”.

I would like to understand whether ESI hold the same views as Fred Singer and the motive behind publishing the article. Thank you.

Regards
Eugene Tay
Editor, Low Carbon Singapore
http://www.lowcarbonsg.com

This is ESI’s reply.

mywaterbottle Goals

mywaterbottle aims to achieve the following goals:

1. Create awareness on the environmental impacts of single-use bottled water and encourage people to use refillable water bottles.

2. Show that tap water is safe to drink and tastes just as good as bottled water.

3. Make it easy to choose and buy affordable refillable water bottles that are safe for both environment and health.

4. Build a map of mywaterbottle refillers (water coolers, cafes, restaurants, food and beverage outlets, etc) for easy and free refilling of water bottles.

5. Showcase events that encourage participants to bring their own refillable water bottles.

mywaterbottle Activities

mywaterbottle conducts the following activities:

1. Organise The Tap Water Challenge

mywaterbottle organises The Tap Water Challenge, which takes the form of a blind taste test for the public. The aim is to show that tap water is safe to drink and tastes just as good as bottled water.

The public is asked to taste two types of water – one is from a brand of bottled water and the other is tap water. They will select which one they prefer or feel that there is no difference between the two. The result is revealed after the taste test.

During The Tap Water Challenge, mywaterbottle also:

• Educate the public on the environmental impacts of single-use bottled water
• Encourage them to use refillable water bottles instead of buying or taking bottled water
• Ask them to show their support by signing the mywaterbottle pledge.

2. Sell Refillable Water Bottles

mywaterbottle provides an easy platform for Singaporeans to choose and buy refillable water bottles that are durable, affordable and BPA-free. 100% of the profits will go to fund water projects in developing countries that provide clean and safe drinking water.

3. Identify mywaterbottle Refillers

mywaterbottle identifies water coolers and invites cafes, restaurants, and food and beverage outlets to join as mywaterbottle refillers and provide free water to anyone with a refillable water bottle. The locations are published on a map of mywaterbottle refillers in Singapore.

4. Showcase Events that Support Refillable Water Bottles

mywaterbottle showcases events that encourage participants to bring their own refillable water bottles, and reduce the use of bottled water.

Images

mywaterbottle logo:

Contact

Eugene Tay, Founder of mywaterbottle

Email: hello@mywaterbottle.org

Website: http://www.mywaterbottle.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mywaterbottle

Twitter: http://twitter.com/mywaterbottle

About Green Future Solutions

Green Future Solutions is a Singapore-based business that promotes environmental awareness and action for a green future, through its network of green websites, events, presentations, publications and consultancy. For more information, visit http://www.greenfuture.sg.

Speakers: Vijay Jagannathan, Sector Manager (Infrastructure), East Asia and Pacific (EAP) Region of the World Bank; Wang Xiaodong, Senior Energy Specialist, East Asia & Pacific (EAP) region of the World Bank

Venue: Seminar Room 3-5, Level 3, Manasseh Meyer, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, 469C Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 259772

Synopsis: According to a recent estimate by the US Energy Information administration, Asia accounts for 40 percent of the world’s CO2 emissions. And as major Asian economies are now growing at more than four times the pace of OECD country economies, Asia has become the primary region of global engagement in the pursuit of a low-carbon strategy.

Winds of Change – East Asia’s Sustainable Energy Future, the World Bank’s East Asia Energy Flagship Study, incorporates the lessons learned from the World Bank’s 17-year engagement in advocating policies and programs aimed at promoting cleaner energy investments in East Asia and Pacific countries.

This report, which will be disseminated in April 2010, demonstrates that a low-carbon growth path is possible for large Asian economies through policies focused on energy-efficiency improvements and innovations in renewable energy technologies. A low-carbon path is both technically and economically viable for the region, and if the right decisions are made, coal’s share in power generation could be halved to 37 percent by 2030.

The report concludes that about US$85 billion a year of additional financing will be required to achieve these ambitious goals. The authors of the study, Dr. Vijay Jagannathan and Dr. Xiadong Wang, will be launching the report and presenting their findings in Singapore on April 19, 2010.

Visit the LKYSPP website for details and registration.

Source: LKYSPP