Smart power grid for Singapore

Pilot project launched to optimise use of electricity
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 20 Nov 09;

SINGAPORE will soon have its first smart grid - a high-tech network of intelligent meters that speak to one another and allow consumers to optimise their power use.

A multimillion-dollar pilot project to build what the industry calls an Intelligent Energy System was announced by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) yesterday.

It will employ a range of technologies to make the electricity grid smarter, and help reduce Singapore's carbon footprint by making energy consumption more efficient, said EMA chief executive Lawrence Wong.

The project, to be implemented mainly at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), will also include multiple sites such as the neighbouring CleanTech Park at Jalan Bahar and selected residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

It will test smart grid technologies like advanced electricity meters that tell energy providers and consumers how much electricity is being used and fed into the grid (see side story below).

The pilot project will also test ways to integrate other sources of power, such as solar energy, into the main grid.

Mr Wong said yesterday: 'With this pilot, we will lay the foundations for an even more intelligent energy system in Singapore.

'We will bring the capabilities of our power grid to the next level and ensure that our electricity infrastructure is ready for the future.'

The EMA has already tested smart meters in a small-scale pilot project at two local housing estates.

The test yielded good results, with households reducing electricity consumption by 2 per cent and shifting 10 per cent of their usual usage from peak to off-peak periods.

'If demand can be shifted away from peak periods, power companies would not need to build extra power plants to cope with such high demand requirements, which will ultimately reduce carbon emissions,' said Mr Wong, who was speaking at the Smart Grids 2009 Summit, held as part of the Singapore International Energy Week.

While the households tested about 400 meters, the new pilot project will involve 'several thousand smart meters', taking the project to the next scale, he added.

The EMA will call for a tender towards the middle of next year, and the project will be implemented in the next two to three years.

Mr David Rouls, Accenture's global managing director of transmission and distribution, said yesterday that Singapore, with its stable grid and condensed population, makes an ideal city to adopt smart grids.

'The challenge will come from finding the right technologies among many, and integrating them to cater to Singapore's needs,' he said.

Accenture may bid to be involved in the project, he added.

No country has adopted smart grids on a nationwide level, said Mr Wong, but investments are pouring into this fast-growing sector.

The United States, for instance, is investing more than US$4 billion (S$5.6 billion) in projects to upgrade its electricity grid, as part of its economic stimulus package. Japan has also announced a 6 billion yen (S$93 million) investment for smart grid pilot projects on 10 islands, noted Mr Wong.

Singapore will not be a laggard in this, and will 'keep on top' of the technologies, he added.

'If we make the right moves, the smart grid presents an enormous growth opportunity.

'It will provide the platform for new products and services, spur energy innovations, and completely transform the shape of the energy industry in future.'

How smart is smart?
Straits Times 20 Nov 09;

CONSUMERS on a smart grid will get an intelligent electricity meter that will tell them how much power is being used and even how much energy the fridge and other appliances use.

The meters are connected through a communications network to inform both energy firms and consumers of how much electricity is being used and fed into the grid.

Users will be able to monitor and manage their consumption according to the electricity price. This sets the stage for the longer-term objective of fully opening up the domestic retail electricity market to competition.

Eventually consumers will be able to choose their power plans - rather like they choose mobile phone plans now - according to their needs.

Refining such high-tech power distribution systems could lead to electric vehicles being connected to the grid to draw or supply electricity, paving the way for a greener, more efficient transport system here.

Smart grid may hold the answer
Lin Yan Qin Today Online 20 Nov 09;

SINGAPORE - Consumers could soon be using energy in a more efficient way.

They could be able to use household appliances that switch themselves off during peak periods when electricity prices are higher.

They could even be able to buy electricity at competitive prices in an open retail market. And they could have even more choices when renewable energy sources like solar power - when they are ready for mainstream use - are added to the power grid.

This could be a reality if the Energy Market Authority's (EMA) pilot testing of a "smart grid" delivers promising results.

To be conducted over two to three years, the project will involve several thousand smart metres - indicating electricity use - being placed in households and commercial buildings, and the testing of various systems to manage demand and energy supplies from a range of sources.

"The current design of the grid results in sub-optimal outcomes for all," said EMA chief executive Lawrence Wong as he unveiled the project at the Smart Grids 2009 Summit yesterday.

Consumers and power companies alike currently lack information on the use and transmission of electricity, while the grid is not ready to handle the use of renewable power, or potential demand from electric cars.

"With this pilot, we will bring the capabilities of our power grid to the next level and ensure our electricity grid is ready for the future," said Mr Wong.

Called the Intelligent Energy System (IES), the pilot project follows the just-concluded Electricity Vending System (EVS) trial, which saw 400 households try out smart meters and different tariffs for different hours of use.

If the trial garners good results, EMA will work with Singapore Power to implement the system on a bigger scale, and it will serve as a platform to open up the retail market to competition.

On Wednesday, EMA announced plans to develop a micro-grid on Pulau Ubin to supply electricity and test clean technologies. Solutions developed from this micro-grid could be exported into the IES.

Interested industry players can participate in a pre-qualification exercise, and tenders will be called by middle of next year.

The project will be based mainly at Nanyang Technological University and neighbouring areas such as the upcoming CleanTech Park.

Before "widespread adoption", however, adjustments and refinements will be needed.

"The benefits of smart grid technologies scaled up to a national level have not been evaluated ," said Mr Wong.

Mr David Rouls, managing director of Accenture Smart Grids Services - which is keen on undertaking the project - said Singapore's grid system was up-to-date and well placed for conversion into a smart system.

The trial will help determine which are the best technologies, given that smart grids are a very expensive prospect which can run into "hundreds of millions" - though such costs are hypothetical given no full-scale grids have been set up, he said.

EMA did not give a cost estimate, beyond saying that bidders will submit their estimations after needs had been evaluated.

Nearly all the households in the EVS trials opted for differentiated price plans over a flat electricity tariff.

They also shifted about 10 per cent of their usual electricity load from peak to off-peak periods. Overall electricity consumption dropped by two per cent. Shifting energy demand from peak periods will mean that power companies need not build extra power plants.

Overhead costs will come down and there will be lower carbon emissions, said Mr Wong.

Smart power grid pilot project is on
Firms will be invited to offer solutions to make energy use cheaper and more efficient
Joyce Hooi, Business Times 20 Nov 09;

THE Energy Market Authority (EMA) continued to lay the groundwork for more efficient energy use with the launch of an Intelligent Energy Systems pilot project yesterday.

The project will test the components of 'smart grids' that promise to make energy use cheaper and more efficient.

'Singapore is well-positioned to play a leading role in the smart grid arena. We already have an advanced power grid to build on,' EMA chief executive Lawrence Wong said at the Smart Grids conference yesterday.

Two recently concluded trials in Marine Parade and West Coast housing estates found that providing households with smart meters that generate real-time information about their power use caused them to shift 10 per cent of it from peak to off-peak periods, which resulted in smaller bills.

Smart grids will also be better equipped to handle the demands of a mix of renewable energy sources, like wind and solar power, that Singapore is tinkering with.

In addition, smart grids will make the widespread use of electric vehicles in Singapore more feasible.

'If 10 per cent of the vehicles in Singapore are electric, an additional 1.3 terra watt hours of electricity per annum will be required, equivalent to six times the energy needs of our public housing estate in Ang Mo Kio,' Mr Wong said.

The focus of the pilot project will be Nanyang Technological University and its neighbouring area, the upcoming CleanTech Park at Jalan Bahar.

EMA will work together with the Economic Development board, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, the Housing and Development Board, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and the National Environment Agency.

EMA plans to call a tender for companies interested in providing smart grid solutions.

Selected companies will work with the grid owner and operator, Singapore Power, to implement the project. The closing date for submissions is Dec 18.

EMA launches pilot project for "Intelligent Energy System"
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia 19 Nov 09;

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) is launching a pilot project aimed at helping households and businesses save more on electricity bills.

The initiative comes on the back of higher consumption patterns and more diversified energy sources.

When you switch on the fan or light, chances are you won't know how much electricity you have used or how much you have spent until you get your power bill at the end of the month.

That is because of the current design of Singapore's energy grid. The limitation also presents a challenge for power companies.

EMA's chief executive, Lawrence Wong, said: "Most utilities have limited visibility into what happens after electricity has been despatched and so are unable to tell if a power outage has occurred."

The growing use of renewable power like wind and solar will create complications as power source becomes intermittent and variable. To address these challenges, the EMA is rolling out its pilot "Intelligent Energy System" project aimed at developing and testing what it calls smart grid solutions.

It includes deploying "smart meters" to more homes. These are special electricity meters which provide households with real-time information on their electricity usage.

Trials in some 400 households in Marina Parade and West Coast resulted in a reduction in electricity consumption by some 2 per cent.

The trials also tested differentiated electricity tariffs. As a result, households shifted about 10 per cent of their electricity load from peak periods to off-peak periods, thus enjoying savings in their electricity bill.

EMA's Mr Wong said: "These findings also have important implications at the system level. If demand can be shifted away from peak periods, power companies would not need to build extra power plants to cope with such high demand requirements.

"We would also be able to reduce the spare generation capacity that power companies are required to maintain and thus bring down the overhead costs in our power system."

Having a smarter power grid will also ensure continued reliability in electricity supply, using renewable energy sources, and offer the ability to tap into electric cars as an energy storage system to feed power back to the grid during peak periods.

Mr Wong said that as technology takes off, there will be increasing demand for electricity charging by both plug-in hybrids and full-battery electric vehicles.

10 per cent of the vehicles in Singapore are electric. To power them up, an additional 1.3 terra watt hours of electricity per annum is required. That is equivalent to six times the energy needed to power up a housing estate like Ang Mo Kio.

Mr Wong said: "These vehicles will contribute less to greenhouse gas emissions compared to regular cars running on fossil fuel.

"The technology for vehicle-to-grid power is still several years away, but we need to start thinking about an intelligent interface to coordinate and facilitate interactions between electric vehicles and the power grid."

The pilot project, which could take up to three years to complete, will be carried out at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University and other commercial buildings in the west.

EMA will call a tender to identify and select companies interested in offering smart grid solutions to work on the project.

- CNA/ir