Brighter days ahead: Pulau Ubin microgrid to be upgraded

It will feature a testbed which can meet 90% of the main village’s daily electricity demand.

The Pulau Ubin microgrid will be expanded and upgraded to give residents and businesses in the area a cleaner and more realisable electricity supply, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) said.

As part of the expansion, the microgrid will be a testbed of two solutions – the Solar Green Roof and Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRB) Energy Storage System (ESS) –  by 2023. EDPR Sunseap APAC will spearhead the test-bed for the two solutions.

The Solar Green Roof will be deployed near the Main Village of the island. EMA said it will likely  “reduce the ambient temperature of solar photovoltaics (PV) modules by 3°C to 8°C and increase the efficiency of the solar PV system by between 1.5% to 4%.”

Enhancing the reliability of the electricity supplied from the Solar Green Roof will be the VBR ESS.

“ESS is an essential technology to manage solar intermittency and maintain grid reliability as it actively manages any mismatches in supply and demand caused by changing weather conditions,” EMA said.

“The VRB ESS utilises a smart pump to regulate the flow of electrolyte which increases the efficiency of the ESS by up to 3%,” the authority added.

Meanwhile, EMA said the National Parks Board (NParks) will extend the micro-gruid beyond the Main Village to Kampong Sungei Durian, to benefit 13 more households on the island. Currently, the grid serves more than 30 households.

With its expansion, the grid is expected to benefit 13 more households on the island, from the current 30 it is serving.