Phoenix Solar to build 1.96 MWp of rooftop PV for Land Transport Authority Singapore
Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd (Phoenix Solar) has been awarded the construction of 1.96 MWp of rooftop PV systems at the Tuas and Gali Batu train depots in Singapore.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is responsible for planning and development of Singapore’s land of transport infrastructure. Achieving cleaner and greener transport is one of its priorities, as well as reducing the environmental impact of its business activities. Generating clean electricity for train depot operations is a significant step in the right direction.
In August 2014 LTA called for a competitive tender to design, supply and install 1.96MWp of grid-tie PV capacity on two new train depots – Tuas and Gali Batu. Train depots offer several advantages when installing PV, as they are typically located in areas with no surrounding tall buildings. The roofs at depot workshop/stabling building are large and usually clear of equipment, so solar panels need not compete for space against other facilities such as water tanks.
The project was awarded to Phoenix Solar after evaluating tenderers according to their quality proposals as well as pricing.
Upon completion, the PV systems, comprising 7’536 REC solar modules and 4 central inverters from SMA, are expected to generate over 2.2 million kWh of solar electricity annually. This is enough to mitigate over 1’100 metric tonnes per year of CO2 from gas fired power plants1. Phoenix Solar will also maintain and monitor the performance of the PV systems over an initial period of one year.
This project dovetails nicely with the Singapore Government’s plans to expand its promotion of renewable energy using solar PV energy for public sector projects.
Singapore has enough space to accommodate 6GWp2 of solar PV, which can generate 7.5TWh of electricity each year, or approximately 17% of Singapore’s current electricity demand. “Looking ahead, we expect PV to cover more industrial factories, depots, warehouses, schools and government facilities” said Christophe Inglin, Managing Director of Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd. “The installations will not only provide environmental benefits but also commercial returns, as PV today is a commercially viable complement to conventional energy in Singapore” continued Inglin.
With the addition of LTA PV systems, Phoenix Solar boasts 8 rooftop installations in the MW range, bringing its rooftop portfolio to over 19MWp, including many award-winning projects.