JTC calls for solar project proposals for building facades and off-grid sites

It has awarded Singapore’s first overhang solar project to EDP APAC.

JTC has launched two innovation calls for solar solutions that can be deployed on building and construction sites with limited energy access, it said on 27 October.

It has awarded Singapore’s first overhang solar project at 15 Woodlands Loop to renewable energy company EDP APAC.

EDP will design, build, operate and test the structure over a 15 month-period from October, targeting at least 250 kWp of installed capacity across 4,300 square metres (sqm). The structure is expected to operate for a decade.

JTC’s first innovation call invites firms to propose solar solutions to be installed on industrial facades.

JTC said that unlike rooftops, the facades differ in design, orientation, and weight limit. The proposals must be light enough to install and connect seamlessly to the building’s electrical system.

The selected solution will be installed on at least 200 sqm of space at JTC’s YS-One building in Yishun and will be tested for a year.

The second innovation call is for the creation of an off-grid, portable solar system that pairs containerised solar panels with mobile battery energy storage systems.

JTC said that many construction sites and remote locations have little to no access to the national grid, relying heavily on diesel generators. The system should be capable of redeployment across different sites.

In the next nine months, JTC says it plans to measure how much time, cost, and carbon emissions the selected solution will save compared to diesel generators.

“By testing solar in the spaces between, on and beyond our buildings, we are finding new ways to grow Singapore’s solar capacity,” said Finn Tay, JTC’s chief sustainability officer.

JTC said these efforts help Singapore reach its 3 gigawatt-peak (GWp) target solar capacity by 2030 amidst limited space.