New survey results announced today show that more than four out of five Singaporeans say renewable energy is a must for the preservation of the environment, despite believing it will be costly to install.
The poll results revealed the top energy-related environmental concerns of Singaporeans. Global warming at 71 per cent was the highest priority, followed by air pollution at 45 per cent and water pollution at 40 per cent. The Singaporeans surveyed demonstrated a strong understanding of the causes of air pollution by identifying the burning of fossil fuels for power generation as one of the top three culprits.
The survey, conducted by independent Asian research firm InsightAsia, contained responses from 1,420 people randomly chosen throughout Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. Singaporeans comprised a quarter of those polled.
“I think this level of public awareness is a positive start to Singapore’s plans to develop a Clean Energy Hub,” said Edwin Khew, chairman of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS).
Singapore has placed heavy emphasis on clean energy through its Energy Efficiency (E2) Singapore initiative, a multi-agency project launched in 2007. One outcome of the country’s drive toward energy efficiency has been the transition from burning oil for power production to the use of natural gas.
Natural gas now produces 80 per cent of the nation’s electricity through power plants that are equipped with technology that captures waste heat for more effective energy conversion.
That transition, along with other initiatives such as green building incentives and environmentally-friendly transport measures, helped the country reduce its energy intensity by 15 per cent between 1990 and 2005, according to the E2 Singapore website. Energy intensity is the energy consumption per dollar gross domestic product ($GDP).
While the island nation’s electricity is now somewhat cleaner than when it was oil-derived, it’s still almost wholly dependent on fossil fuels.
A 2010 report from the government’s Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) stressed the need to focus on long term energy security. The report recommended diversifying the nation’s energy sources, as well as increasing investment in energy efficient technologies to reduce demand for electricity. Those technologies will be directed at the nation’s highest electricity users, the top two being industry at 43 per cent and buildings at 31 per cent (according the E2 Singapore report). The committee endorsed a national renewable energy target of five per cent of its electricity production by 2020.
Venkat Kannan, energy services leader for GE Energy Asean, the energy technology company that commissioned the survey, said that renewable energy technologies are critical for reducing Singapore’s almost complete reliance on fossil fuel. He added that although space constraints may limit the country’s potential for some renewable energy uses, the technology ”can be developed for export to larger markets like Indonesia or China.”
But Mr Kannan urged Singapore to continue its efforts to reduce demand for fossil fuels through energy efficiency, saying it was both cheaper and more effective than investing in renewable energy. “At the same time (as developing renewable energy technology), the authorities need to continue their emphasis on energy efficiency, as it is probably as important as renewable energy for a developed city state like Singapore,” he said.
He added that the Singapore government has set a target of reducing Singapore’s energy intensity 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels, and that the increased energy efficiency of its power generation is a good start for supply side energy technologies. He referred to an International Energy Agency (IEA) study stating that supply side energy efficiency technologies in power generation can potentially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by about 57 per cent by 2030. The same study gave an estimate of a 23 per cent emissions reduction potential for renewable energy technologies.
According to Mr Kannan, Singapore’s current focus on reducing unnecessary electricity demand, in tandem with its use of efficient power production technologies, will showcase Singapore as a leading example of how a country can tackle its carbon issues on all fronts.
He was referring specifically to ongoing trials with GE’s smart grid technologies, which help monitor energy usage and distribute electricity more efficiently than conventional grids. Smart grids are generally accepted as key to accommodating power demand from rising numbers of electric cars, as well as safely distributing energy from sources which are sporadic or decentralised, as is the case with many renewable energies.
As such, smart grid technology will be a factor if Singaporeans get their wish for more renewable energies such as solar, wind and hydropower.
“From a business perspective, we are pleased that Singaporeans view renewable energy positively,” said GE’s Kannan. “Given Singapore’s limited land size, it has to focus on all fronts, demand and supply.”
