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Identification of Factors Influencing Development of Photovoltaic (PV) Implementation in Singapore

Author

Listed:
  • Siu-Kit Lau

    (Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117566, Singapore)

  • Vesna Kosorić

    (Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117566, Singapore
    Balkan Energy AG, 4656 Starrkirch Wil, Switzerland
    Daniel Hammer Architekt FH AG, 4600 Olten, Switzerland)

  • Monika Bieri

    (Cleantech Energy Corporation Pte Ltd., Singapore 049482, Singapore)

  • André.M. Nobre

    (Cleantech Energy Corporation Pte Ltd., Singapore 049482, Singapore)

Abstract

Despite the steady growth of grid-connected installed capacity in Singapore in the last decade and intensive government effort towards “solarization”, implementation of photovoltaics (PV) and especially building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) into the built environment has not gathered as much momentum as would have been expected given the country’s ample solar energy resource potential, strong economic fundamentals and the robust real estate sector. Based on a conducted web-survey and qualitative interviews among local professionals, this paper examines the obstacles, potentials and drivers that could facilitate and accelerate BIPV and PV façade integration, as well as needs that could encourage wider PV use. In order to define a unified strategy, aligning the stakeholders’ views, the following disputable factors are pointed out and discussed: (1) incomplete understanding of BIPV and building-applied photovoltaics (BAPV) among stakeholders, (2) costs of BIPV systems, (3) low awareness of and confidence in “integrability” of PV modules, (4) incomplete knowledge about and insufficiently investigated PV performance and (5) potential of PV façade and roof integration. Since the costs are the key identified factor for BIPV implementation, life-cycle cost (LCC) assessments of PV façade and roof integrations have been performed, which supported the search for solutions to identified problems. The performed analysis and findings present the basis for the development of a long-term holistic strategy for PV implementation in Singapore that could help the highly-urbanized, tropical resource- and land-constrained island city-state reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and achieve the climate change targets, thus promoting a more sustainable built environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Siu-Kit Lau & Vesna Kosorić & Monika Bieri & André.M. Nobre, 2021. "Identification of Factors Influencing Development of Photovoltaic (PV) Implementation in Singapore," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-30, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:5:p:2630-:d:508531
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abel Tablada & Vesna Kosorić & Huajing Huang & Ian Kevin Chaplin & Siu-Kit Lau & Chao Yuan & Stephen Siu-Yu Lau, 2018. "Design Optimization of Productive Façades: Integrating Photovoltaic and Farming Systems at the Tropical Technologies Laboratory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-24, October.
    2. Kosorić, Vesna & Huang, Huajing & Tablada, Abel & Lau, Siu-Kit & Tan, Hugh T.W., 2019. "Survey on the social acceptance of the productive façade concept integrating photovoltaic and farming systems in high-rise public housing blocks in Singapore," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 197-214.
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    Cited by:

    1. Erika Marsillac, 2021. "Supporting Renewable Energy Market Growth through the Circular Integration of End-of-Use and End-of-Life Photovoltaics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-9, September.
    2. Costa, Alberto & Ng, Tsan Sheng & Su, Bin, 2023. "Long-term solar PV planning: An economic-driven robust optimization approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 335(C).
    3. Mohammed Albattah & Daniel Efurosibina Attoye, 2021. "A Quantitative Investigation on Awareness of Renewable Energy Building Technology in the United Arab Emirates," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-20, June.
    4. Tianyi Chen & Yaning An & Chye Kiang Heng, 2022. "A Review of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics in Singapore: Status, Barriers, and Prospects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-25, August.
    5. Vesna Kosorić & Siu-Kit Lau & Abel Tablada & Monika Bieri & André M. Nobre, 2021. "A Holistic Strategy for Successful Photovoltaic (PV) Implementation into Singapore’s Built Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-35, June.

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