Solar energy for Budget Terminal

Nicholas Yong, Straits Times 12 Feb 09;

CHANGI Airport's Budget Terminal is taking the green route, with a plan to utilise solar energy to meet part of its electricity needs.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is issuing a tender to convert electricity from direct sunlight on the airport terminal's rooftop.

It is estimated the project will result in savings of $60,000 annually. This forms at least 10 per cent of the lighting consumption at the Budget Terminal.

The project will take about 12 months, beginning from June.

The initiative is not the first to be given the green light. Similar solar energy projects have been sprouting up in recent years.

City Developments has incorporated solar-powered eco-roofs into many of its residential and commercial projects, such as Oceanfront @ Sentosa Cove.

And the Housing Board's Treelodge@Punggol estate is projected to be the first eco-precinct of its kind here.

Associate Professor Tseng King Jet of Nanyang Technological University welcomed the Budget Terminal initiative as a means of improving knowledge about solar technology.

The system will be placed on the rooftop of the terminal's Departure Hall, an area that covers about 15,000 sq m.

A series of photovoltaic (PV) panels will be installed to capture sunlight during daytime for conversion into usable electricity.

But Prof Tseng also acknowledged the current limitations of PV solar technology. 'The amount produced is usually not enough,' he said.

As an example, if the rooftop of a typical HDB block was covered with panels, it would probably produce enough electricity for only the residents on one floor.

While there is little additional cost once PV panels are installed, Prof Tseng noted the prohibitive cost of PV panels and large storage batteries.

One PV panel which produces a kilowatt of energy, or the power needed to boil a kettle of water, costs an estimated $10,000.

Budget Terminal to go green with solar roof panels
Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia 11 Feb 09;

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Budget Terminal could soon have a "green" roof over its Departure Hall that uses solar panels to help convert sunlight into electricity.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on Wednesday announced that it is calling a tender for the project.

The aim is to produce an alternate source of clean and sustainable energy to supplement the terminal's main power supply and reduce electricity costs.

CAAS estimates that the year-long project, slated to take off in June, could translate into savings of around S$60,000 per year.

The testbed project is part of a new clean energy programme launched one and a half years ago by the Economic Development Board and Clean Energy Programme Office.

In addition to being more green, CAAS hopes to boost research efforts by making the data generated from this project available to research organisations.

CAAS will assess the project's outcome before deciding whether to extend it to the other terminals at Changi Airport. - CNA/vm