FEASIBILITY STUDY OF PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM IN SINGAPORE : A CASE STUDY APPROACH

Abstract

Today, the world is facing two major challenges related to energy. Our economy depends greatly on the limited fossil fuel for electricity. An increasing demand but depleting supply of fossil fuel could lead to a major economic crisis. As a result, alternative or renewable energy sources are needed as a substitute for fossil fuel. There are several renewable energy sources available today. A land-scarce country like Singapore can resort to solar power as the alternative source of energy. However, the problem lies with the viability of adopting the Photovoltaic (PV) system in Singapore. In order to optimize the performance of the PV system, there are several factors that need to be considered, such as the design of the PV system with regards to the orientation, band gap and the surface reflection of the PV system. Beside these factors, there are other factors like surface temperature and cloud coverage that can affect the efficiency of the system. Two types of PV system were studied to determine the characteristics of energy harvesting, that is, the performance of the PV system with respect to the surface temperature of the PV system. It was found that the performance of the PV system is dependent on the amount of solar radiance and surface temperature. A high amount of solar radiance indicates high radiation on the PV system. Hence, the surface temperature will increase, leading to low performance. This dissertation aims to provide solutions to resolve the high surface temperature problem so as to optimize the PV performance. A pilot study on a proposed anonymous school in Singapore is adopted to compare the cost and energy saving when PV system is implemented. Indeed, the PV system helps to bring down the energy consumption of the building. However, the current electricity rate is not high enough for the PV system to be economically viable. Thus, with a low efficiency, the payback period is longer than its lifespan. Despite that the PV system is still not commercially practical; it nonetheless reduces carbon dioxide emission significantly. Thus, with a high demand of fuels and pressure to cut down greenhouse gases, the cost of the electricity is likely to increase in the future. As new technology proceeds, high efficiency solar cells will be generated helping to cut down more carbon dioxide emission, at an affordable cost.