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  Straits Times Forum 22 Mar 07
Solar drive: Look to Stirling dishes
Letter from Tay Kian Ping

 Straits Times Forum 21 Mar 06
Domestic demand needed for solar energy systems research to be successful
Letter from Jeffery Lee Meng Toong

I REFER to the article, 'S'pore to move into research on clean energy' (ST, March 17). It was reported that the Government will pump $170 million in seed money into research into producing viable solar power.

However, funding is only one of many challenges an entrepreneur or researcher has to overcome when trying to design and commercialise solar energy systems or products.

He needs to take into account whether there is any domestic demand for such systems.

Currently, the conversion efficiency of such systems needs to improve as the technology remains dependent on government subsidies elsewhere and is still twice as expensive as current electricity grids in the US.

The Bush administration had also earmarked US$170 million (subject to approval by Congress) last year to reduce photovoltaic costs from 13-22 US cents per kilowatt to 9-18 US cents per kilowatt by 2010.

Hence, if Singapore wants to succeed in this field, we need to proceed on the same basis as done so successfully in the Newater project, that is, provide domestic demand (participation of utility companies), R&D work that can be usefully commercialised by focusing on technology efficiency and working with industry suppliers willing to localise operations in Singapore.

Straits Times Forum 22 Mar 07
Solar drive: Look to Stirling dishes
Letter from Tay Kian Ping

I AM alarmed by the push to embrace photovoltaic solar technology ('Sunny days ahead for solar energy industry here'; ST, March 20).

While it is highly commendable that the Government has recognised the need to develop our renewable-energy capabilities, for this would reduce our vulnerability to imported fuel and also reduce carbon emissions, have the relevant government agencies looked into Stirling dishes?

The dishes also harness the sun's rays but are claimed to be '30 per cent efficient' - 30 per cent of the sun's energy is converted into electricity and this is two to three times as efficient as conventional photovoltaic cells.

The United States is shunning photovoltaic technology in favour of Stirling dishes. I hope that we do not spend significant sums to develop what in the end is a second-rate technology when we could be focusing our efforts on another, better technology.
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