Best of our wild blogs: 1 Aug 17

Internships for our shores (Aug 2017 to Mar 2019)
Singapore Celebrates our Reefs 2018

13th August 2017 (Sunday): FREE Guided Herp Walk @ Treetop Walk
Herpetological Society of Singapore

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Solar power capacity soars in Singapore

It has nearly quadrupled in past three years as solar panels have mushroomed all over island
Yuen Sin Straits Times 1 Aug 17;

The capacity for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to generate electricity here has nearly quadrupled in the past three years as solar panels have mushroomed all over Singapore.

The total installed capacity of such systems has swelled from 33.1MW peak (MWp) in 2014 to 129.8MWp in the first quarter of this year, according to data released by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) yesterday.

In 2010, the Economic Strategies Committee set a target of having renewable energy sources like solar energy contribute to 5 per cent of Singapore's peak electricity demand or 350MWp by 2020.

Dr Thomas Reindl, deputy chief executive of the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore, said Singapore is on track to exceed the 350MWp target.

Under the SolarNova scheme, which aggregates solar demand, agencies such as the Housing Board provide rooftop space for firms to install panels. In return, town councils enjoy discounted electricity rates.

The private sector, town councils and grassroots units were major contributors to the expanded solar capacity from 2014. The newly upgraded Bukit Panjang Community Club, for example, has about 150 solar panels installed on its roof.

Non-residential installations of solar panels in the private sector accounted for 45.9 per cent of the total installed capacity, while town councils and grassroots units such as the HDB contributed 44.7 per cent towards the figure.

A spokesman for the EMA said it has made it easier for consumers to be paid for supplying the excess energy they generate to the grid.

Residential users account for less than 5 per cent of total installed capacity. As of the end of the first quarter of this year, there were 589 installations by the residential sector, which comprises primarily of private homes.

Cost remains one of the obstacles, experts have said, since larger rooftop systems tend to be more economical compared with smaller systems. But residential use may increase as the cost of solar panels is expected to drop further.

Research is being done to see how Singapore can overcome its space constraints to have more solar panels installed. This includes the setting up of the world's largest floating solar PV cell test bed at Tengeh Reservoir last year, which will test and evaluate the performance of 10 different systems.

Singapore's total electricity consumption rose by 2.3 per cent from 47.5TWh (terawatt hours) in 2015 to 48.6TWh last year, according to the EMA report.

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Government mulls trial to give more choice in buying electricity, green energy audit planned

This is the latest development since EMA announced in 2015 that it will fully open up the electricity retail market to competition in the second half of 2018.
Audrey Tan Straits Times 31 Jul 17;

SINGAPORE - All households in Singapore will, in the second half of next year, be able to shop for electricity the way they do for a mobile phone plan. However, a select group of consumers may be able to start shopping around for the best electricity deals earlier.

The Straits Times has learnt that the Energy Market Authority (EMA) is mulling over running a trial before the market is fully open.

EMA said, in response to queries from The Straits Times, that it is studying this possibility, and that more details will be released at a later date if it decides to do so.

News of the trial comes after people expressed concern on whether their electricity supply will be affected by opting for a retailer other than SP Services.

However, EMA assured consumers that the reliability and quality of electricity supply to consumers will not be affected by their choice of retailers, as consumers will receive their electricity supply through the nationwide power grid owned and operated by SP Group regardless of the type of electricity package.

This is the latest development since EMA announced in 2015 that it will fully open up the electricity retail market to competition in the second half of 2018.

Currently, only some 33,000 commercial and industrial consumers with an average monthly electricity consumption of at least 2MWh - which amounts to a monthly electricity bill of about $450 - benefit from this flexibility.

This threshold was last lowered from 4MWh to 2MWh in July 2015. The remaining 1.3 million consumers, mainly households, are on the regulated tariff with SP Services. But that is set to change.

With the liberalisation, customers can shop around for the best deals based on their usage patterns or preferences.

The Straits Times reported in October last year that the more than 20 registered electricity retailers are already cooking up a buffet of options for consumers.

Those who work in the day could, for example, sign up for options that allow them to take advantage of lower electricity tariffs at night. For the eco-conscious, there will also be plans that guarantee a portion of energy consumed will be linked to renewable energy, such as solar power.

However, there are currently no mandatory requirements for a supplier of green electricity to have their generation sources audited. This means that while a retailer could claim that electricity sold comes from a green source, there is no way for consumers to verify this for certain.

Homegrown electricity retailer Sunseap has an audit system in place, although this is done voluntarily.

But the National University of Singapore's Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (Seris) is involved in an inter-agency initiative led by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to address this issue, said Dr Thomas Reindl, Seris' deputy chief executive.

Having an independent verification process in place is very critical for consumer confidence, especially with the growing number of transactions expected when the energy market fully opens in the second half of 2018, said Dr Reindl.

"This will ensure two things: that customers truly receive green electricity, and that there is no 'double-counting' of the same electricity, by selling it to two different parties at the same time," said Dr Reindl.

EMA said retailers are prohibited from misrepresentations to consumers under the Code of Conduct for Retail Electricity Licensees.


Possible trial of upcoming electricity retail market
Audrey Tan Straits Times 1 Aug 17;

When the electricity market is fully open to competition in the second half of next year, all households will be able to shop for it the way people do for a mobile phone plan.

But some households may be able to do so earlier, as the Energy Market Authority (EMA) is considering running a trial to ease the transition, The Straits Times has learnt. A system to audit sources of green energy is also in the works.

In response to ST queries, the EMA said it will "fully open the electricity retail market in the second half of next year. We are studying the possibility of running a trial before full opening".

EMA had in 2015 said it will fully open up the electricity retail market to competition. In the wake of this, people expressed concern about the reliability of electricity supply, and whether it will be affected if they choose to opt for a retailer other than SP Services.

But EMA said reliability and quality of electricity supply will not be affected by choice of retailers, as consumers receive supply through the nationwide power grid owned and operated by SP Group.

With the liberalisation, customers can shop around for the best deals based on their usage patterns or preferences. ST reported last October that registered electricity retailers - numbering more than 20 - were already cooking up a buffet of options for consumers.

Those who work in the day could, for example, sign up for options that allow them to take advantage of lower electricity tariffs at night. For the eco-conscious, there will be plans that guarantee a portion of energy consumed will be linked to renewable energy, such as solar.

It is not mandatory for a supplier of green electricity to have its generation sources audited. Those that have, like home-grown electricity retailer Sunseap, do so voluntarily.

The National University of Singapore's Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore is part of an inter- agency initiative led by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to address this issue, Dr Thomas Reindl, its deputy chief executive, told ST.

An independent verification process is critical for consumer confidence, especially with the rising number of transactions when the electricity retail market fully opens to competition, said Dr Reindl.

"An independent verification process will ensure two things: that customers truly receive green electricity, and that there is no 'double- counting' of the same electricity, by selling it to two different parties at the same time," he said.

EMA said retailers are prohibited from misrepresentations to consumers under the Code of Conduct for Retail Electricity Licensees.

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Sustainable Business Awards honour local companies working at doing the right thing

Rachael Boon Straits Times 31 Jul 17;

SINGAPORE - Several local firms have clinched honours at the Sustainable Business Awards on July 31.

Companies were singled out for their practices in several categories such as energy and water management, biodiversity and environment, among others.

The awards, organised by event producer Global Initiatives, aim to raise the awareness of sustainable business and show how good practices benefit companies, the environment and society.

Global Initiatives chief executive Tony Gourlay said in a statement: "Singapore's sustainability leadership is evident in this year's awards, both in terms of business engagement as well as a country, leading by example in the region.

"Business can and must strengthen this momentum even further to progress on the Singapore sustainable movement and reach the 2020 United Nation goals in time."

Property firm City Developments Limited (CDL) was named the overall winner, having "integrated sustainability into its business" since 1995, said Global Initiatives.

In March, CDL also released a new blueprint called CDL Future Value 2030, which shows a "their longstanding commitment and best practices of over 20 years and sets clear directions for contributing towards a sustainable future".

Other Singapore winners include Keppel Corp and Singtel.

Ms Fang Eu-Lin, sustainability and climate change leader at PwC Singapore, which is one of Global Initiatives partners for the awards, said: "Recognising sustainability as a risk is only the first step towards understanding its impact on the business- risks need to be quantified, monitored and managed. The latter activity is happening with varying degrees of success.

"It's heartening to see more companies in Singapore, including small and medium-sized enterprises, taking active steps towards managing this risk and we expect to see more businesses embedding sustainability their into core business strategy."

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Indonesia: Fewer hot spots as Indonesia ramps up water-bombing missions

Francis Chan Straits Times 31 Jul 17;

JAKARTA - The number of hot spots picked up across Indonesia by satellites fell slightly to 214 on Monday (July 31), according to latest figures from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

This after forest fires, most of which were located in the western regions of Aceh and Kalimantan, led to 239 hot spots the day before, said to be the highest so far this year.

While the haze from fires in West Aceh, which had forced some schools in its capital Meulaboh to close, had largely abated, more hot spots were detected in West Kalimantan and Riau - now the two worst-hit provinces.

Figures The Straits Times received from BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho on Monday, showed 59 hot spots in Riau, followed by West Kalimantan with 46.

Dr Sutopo had attributed the rise in the number of hot spots to the seasonal dry spell, which is forecast to last until September.

Forest and peatland fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan that led to the transboundary haze have been kept at bay since 2015.

The haze caused record air pollution levels in the region for months that year, pushing Indonesia to the verge of a national emergency.

Since then, the central government has been working with local authorities and plantation companies to ramp up efforts to prevent and fight fires.

But as the dry season kicked in, all eyes were again on Indonesia, following reports that smoke from fires in Meulaboh caused dozens of people, including children to suffer from lung infections from the haze.

Aceh police chief Teguh Priyambodo Nugroho, said 14 people have been called in for questioning in connection to the fires in the regency.

He told Kompas news on Monday that these include both land-owners and workers who were present at the time of the fires, but they remain witnesses until the police has evidence to prove otherwise.

The schools in Meulaboh reopened on Monday morning as conditions improved throughout most of the country, with air pollution at between "good" and "moderate" levels, according to Indonesia's Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG).

Meanwhile, aerial fire-fighters in Riau have dropped more than 21 billion litres of water over fires raging across the Indonesian province in Sumatra since January, as efforts to prevent a repeat of the haze crisis continues across the country.

The amount, delivered by helicopters over 549ha of land affected by fires in the province thus far, is enough to fill more than 8,800 Olympic-sized swimming pools, or supply Singapore's total water demand for 11 days.

Similar water-bombing missions are also being carried out over West Kalimantan in recent days, where the highest number of hot spots were recorded since Thursday.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said on Monday that these air sorties are focused on fires in areas where there is no road access. "If land access is difficult or shut down for a long time, then we will use water-bombings," she added.

Neighbours Malaysia and Singapore, which were also badly affected by the haze crisis in 2015, have reiterated their offers to assist Indonesia in its fire-fighting efforts.

According to a Bernama report on Monday, Malaysian Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said Putrajaya was concerned about the fires in Indonesia, but is ready to provide help at any time.

"I have discussed it with Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, who is in charge of the Fire Department and the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, and he has given an assurance that they are ready," he told reporters at a community event on Sunday.

Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, also reaffirmed Singapore's commitment to work together with Indonesia to tackle the haze issue during his visit to Pekanbaru and Jambi last week.

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Malaysia ready to assist Indonesia battle its forest fires: Wan Junaidi

Bernama New Straits Times 31 Jul 17;

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is ready to send firefighters to Indonesia to help put out forest fires in the republic.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the government is seriously concerned about the problem which could cause haze, and is poised to provide assistance at any time.

“I have discussed (the matter) with Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, who is in charge of the Fire Department and the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart) and he has given the assurance that they are ready at any time,” he told reporters when met at the Smart Tunnel Run 2017 here yesterday.

Indonesia’s Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) recently warned of an increase in forest fire threats due to the ongoing drought in the country that is expected to worsen, but some hots pots have already been detected in Aceh, causing the area to experience haze.

However, the Indonesian Peat Soil Recovery Agency has reportedly given its assurance that neighbours like Malaysia and Singapore would not be experiencing haze, as it has already taken steps to halt forest fires.

Following his meeting with the governors of Riau and Jambi, Wan Junaidi said he is planning to meet with the governor of Aceh next, to discuss the matter. — BERNAMA


Wan Junaidi: Malaysia ready to assist Indonesia to tackle haze problem
RAHIMY RAHIM The Star 2 Aug 17;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry is seeking to meet its counterpart to raise the issue of cross-border haze affecting Indonesia.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the Malaysian government has a contingency plan in the event of a haze crisis and is prepared to give official help to put out forest fires in the republic.

"I have instructed the deputy secretary-general of the Department of Environment to make contact with the necessary ministries from Indonesia for a visit there," he told reporters during a press conference after the 12th National Water Resources Council meeting in Parliament on Wednesday.

Recently, Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency warned of an increase in forest fire threats owing to the ongoing drought in the country that was expected to worsen.

It was reported some 72 hotspots have been detected in Aceh, resulting in haze there.

Wan Junaidi said based on the annual south-west monsoon wind, peninsular Malaysia and Singapore is expected to be affected by the haze if there is open burning in Riau or Jambi.

"If there is fire in the west, east and middle of Kalimantan, parts of Sabah and Sarawak will be affected. If it happens in Aceh, the haze could possibly occur in the northern parts of our country such as Penang, Perlis, Kedah and northern Perak," he said.

Wan Junaidi added that the Government will monitor the situation on a daily basis and said that Indonesia had taken quick measures to stop the open burning and kept to their promise of managing the problem.

"Their efforts to control the fire with the cooperation of their military police and local councils have been effective. We just want to officially inform them that we are concern and we have our team to assist them if they need any help," added Wan Junaidi.

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Malaysia: Milk for baby jumbos pours in

The Star 1 Aug 17;

KOTA KINABALU: The care of five orphaned elephant calves at a wildlife centre in Sandakan is now more assured with a one-tonne contribution of milk powder for them.

The milk powder was flown in from New Zealand to Kota Kinabalu, courtesy of dairy giant Fonterra and NGO Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species (Rages).

The milk can feed the five elephant calves at the Sepilok centre for up to six months, saving some RM100,000 in costs, said Sabah Wildlife Department Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) acting manager Dr Diana Ramirez.

The calves, aged between one and two and a half years, consume up to 8kg of milk per day, she said, adding that pachyderms were given milk until they were about four- or five years old.

Dr Diana said the calves were rescued from around Sabah and brought to Sepilok where they were cared for by the department’s elephant care unit.

Last year, WRU in association with Rages started its search for the best milk powder option for the endangered orphaned Bornean elephants, said Dr Diana.

A few products were tested during the trials. It was decided that Fonterra milk was the best choice for the baby elephants, she added.

Dr Ramirez said an inaugural shipment took place last year with an initial donation by Borneo Conservation Trust-Japan to buy 1.2 tonnes of milk powder from Fonterra.

The second shipment of milk powder arrived at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport on July 25 and was immediately collected by WRU and sent to Sepilok.

Rages South-East Asia Project Director Debbie Mair said they were committed to preserving and investing in conservation.

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Indonesia: Untapped biomass potential can drive growth of RI industry

Theresia Sufa The Jakarta Post 31 Jul 16;

Indonesia has vast biomass potential, large enough to meet Indonesia’s renewable energy demand and boost its economy, a researcher has said.

Energy expert Erliza Hambali said that with the aid of various technologies, Indonesia’s biomass sources, such as palm oil waste, could be converted into high-value products. The energy potential of biomass could be used in various industries as a substitute for conventional petroleum-based products, he added.

“We can create a new market of derivative products from palm oil waste,” said Erliza, director of the Bogor Agricultural University’s (IPB) Surfaktan and Bioenergy Research Center (SBRC).

Erliza said several technologies and conversion processes had been developed for biomass use so that in the future biomass could hopefully become a viable option for various industry because it was renewable, environmentally friendly and could reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Erliza spoke during the 2017 International Conference on Biomass held in Bogor, West Java, from July 24 to 25. Around 200 researchers, practitioners and business players from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and the US attended the conference.

The potential of only a few biomass sources in Indonesia have been tapped so far either as energy sources or as raw materials in the country’s industries, the conference said. Meanwhile, many countries have used biomass as energy sources in the form of pellets. In Indonesia, the greatest source of biomass potential comes from palm oil waste.

Justinus Satrio, a researcher from Villanova University, USA, said biomass was not only an opportunity but also a challenge. “Biomass can damage the environment if its use is not compliant with environmental conservation principles,” he said. (ebf)

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Earth likely to warm more than two degrees by 2100: experts

Zoe Tabary Reuters 1 Aug 17;

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - World temperatures are likely to rise by more than 2 degrees Celsius this century, surpassing a "tipping point" that a global climate deal aims to avert, scientists said on Monday.

A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change shows a 90 percent chance that temperatures will increase this century by 2 to 4.9 degrees Celsius.

Researchers at the University of Washington found only a 5 percent chance that warming could be at or below 2 degrees Celsius – one of the targets set by the 2015 Paris climate deal on limiting emissions of greenhouse gases that warm the planet.

Missing that target would have dramatic consequences on people's livelihoods – such as prolonged periods of drought and rising sea levels – said Adrian Raftery, the lead author of the study and a professor at the University of Washington.

The study uses statistical projections based on total world population, GDP per capita and the amount of carbon emitted for each dollar of economic activity, known as carbon intensity.

"Our analysis shows that the goal of 2 degrees is very much a best-case scenario," said Raftery. "It is achievable, but only with major, sustained effort on all fronts over the next 80 years."

According to the U.N. Environment Programme, world greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, are now about 54 billion tonnes a year and should be cut to 42 billion by 2030 to get on track to stay below 2 Celsius.

Ramping up efforts to improve carbon efficiency are key to limit future warming, Raftery told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a phone interview.

"Countries need to change the economic incentives for producing carbon – for example by introducing a carbon tax – and encourage innovation that would improve energy efficiency," he said.

"We should be learning more from countries that are particularly carbon-efficient, like France, which has a very low-carbon transport infrastructure."

Reporting by Zoe Tabary @zoetabary, Editing by Ros Russell. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit news.trust.org/climate

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