Microgrids can help with energy bottlenecks as Singapore scales EV population
These 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
REPLACING a single conventional bus in Singapore with an electric one could lower emissions by up to 56 per cent.
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 per cent.
These electric vehicles (EVs) would, however, need 3.1 terrawatt hours of energy – equivalent to 6.9 per cent 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
Offering well-designed incentives, means Singapore may be able to have the largest share of passenger electric EVs across South-east Asia by 2040.
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The country also aims for half its public bus fleet to be electric by 2030.
To prepare for this, Singapore has made commendable strides in providing an EV infrastructure. The number of registered EV charging points has grown to 13,800. Of these, 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.
Singapore took steps to deregulate its power generation market as far back as 2001 with the introduction of the Energy Market Authority (EMA).
This deregulation has produced various power generation players that compete to sell electricity on a wholesale market, and research shows that the result has been lower prices for both households and businesses.
To further strengthen the nation’s energy infrastructure, EMA has been incentivising consumers to reduce their consumption during peak periods through a demand response programme.
This programme is being expanded to include battery energy storage systems, which will be incentivised to use their batteries during peak periods; and EV charging operators, which will be incentivised to adjust their charging speeds according to grid demands.
EMA is also consulting on the introduction of a virtual power plant, which would aggregate the energy generated from various sources across the island.
Microgrids a good fit
Microgrids fit neatly within Singapore’s energy infrastructure plan. They can work alongside the main power grid or operate independently when needed, which means they could make up one part of the various distributed energy sources that could feed into a virtual power plant.
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.
For instance, the energy management system in a microgrid would ensure that its own power generation resources or its batteries are used when both grid demand and grid prices are high. When demand is low and prices are low, the system would consume power from the grid instead, while simultaneously recharging its batteries.
Singapore has already taken some initial steps towards the introduction of microgrids.
A testbed was installed on Pulau Ubin in 2013. Following upgrades and expansions, it can now potentially meet 90 per cent of daily electricity demand in the island’s main village using solar power. An experimental urban microgrid is also set to be completed this year at the Singapore Institute of Technology’s new Punggol campus.
There is room for Singapore to install more of such distributed energy systems across the country. With limited space for very large power generation facilities, microgrids represent a lower-cost alternative that potentially adds to Singapore’s energy resilience and supports its net-zero ambitions.
The writer is cluster president, Singapore and Brunei, Schneider Electric
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