Six clean-technology SMEs to get S$2.5m to test-bed new solutions

SIX clean-technology SMEs will receive a total of S$2.5 million from the government to test-bed sustainable technologies and solutions.

Among the proposed technologies that will be tested are a hybrid solar photovolatic system that uses a top-cooling method to yield greater energy output, which is currently pending a patent, and thin, flexible organic solar films on building facades.

Four of the six projects will be test-bedded in CleanTech Park, bringing the total number of technologies being tested there to 20.

This was announced by Minister in Prime Minister's Office S Iswaran at the official opening of a second building at the CleanTech park called CleanTech Two on Wednesday.

The six firms - Omega Solar, Ecosoftt, HVS Engineering, vTrium Energy, Transkinect and Sun Electric - were selected out of 14 proposals for the JTC-Spring Joint Grant Call for Test-bedding of Sustainable Solutions, which was launched at the the World Cities Summit in June last year.

"The test-bedding projects not only allow JTC to try out new innovative solutions, but also enable SMEs to implement their technologies in a real-world environment and help them build a track record to go to market," said JTC's director of Aerospace, Marine & CleanTech Cluster, Leow Thiam Seng.

Encouraging more entrepreneurs and companies to explore opportunities in the cleantech sector, Spring Singapore's director of manufacturing and engineering division Ho Chi Bao said: "These companies will get to validate their technologies in a commercial site with real-world conditions. This partnership would form a strong project reference for the companies and act as a stepping stone as they grow their customer base and expand overseas."

The grant call sought proposals that supported at least one of three sustainability themes: resource efficiency, sustainable urban solutions and building efficiency.