Renewable energy integration into smart grids: Problems and solutions — Singapore experience

Singapore being a city state with 712.4km², 5.183million people, S$59,813 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capital, population density of 7,126 per square kilometer [1] and limited natural resources, identified her GHG emission as carbon dioxide (CO₂) mainly from combustion of fossil fuels and natural gas to generate energy meeting development and human needs. By 2006 highly efficient combined cycle technology was deployed to generate 78% primary energy by burning natural gas [2]. One of Singapore key strategies to further mitigate GHG emissions is to increase the energy efficiency of various sectors and/or introducing renewable energy sources. Singapore Industry, Buildings and Households sector consumes 54%, 16% and 9%, respectively, of generated secondary energy [2]. Three areas of pilot test beddings are presented to enhance Singapore energy efficiency. First, Energy Market Authority (EMA) launched a pilot project Intelligent Energy System (IES) in 2010 to test and evaluate new applications and technologies around a smart grid, thereby enhancing Singapore´s power system efficiency and resilience, reducing wastage, saving peak loads and deferring capital investments to meet consumer demand in the future. Second, EMA will show case in 2012 how clean and renewable energy can be deployed at the system level in an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable manner for an off-grid community at Pulau Ubin, an island located at North East of Singapore. Third, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and four industry partners developed a test facility Experimental Power Grid Centre (EPGC) [4], housing a 1MW power grid at Jurong Island in South West Singapore.