Singapore aims to better manage electricity supply with enhanced energy management system

SINGAPORE: As Singapore charges towards its 2030 goals for sustainable development, unpredictable weather like rain and cloud cover could dampen the nation’s solar energy aspirations.

But the Energy Market Authority (EMA) appears to have found a way to overcome inconsistent sunlight to ensure a more consistent power supply. 

The statutory board is touting an enhanced system that can predict solar power across Singapore – up to an hour in advance – with one of the best accuracy rates in the tropics.

Its new solar forecasting model has an error rate of less than 10 per cent, allowing the agency to better anticipate solar power generation that can vary in different weather conditions.

This enables EMA to manage electricity supply and demand more efficiently, the authority said in a statement on Tuesday (Jun 12).

The model is part of an enhanced energy management system, or EMS II, for the country’s electricity network.

This system can automatically tap into stored energy and is better able to address power disruptions and cyber threats.

“This new EMS upgrade allows us to future-proof our grid infrastructure to enhance the reliability of the power system. It also helps us to meet our net-zero goal in 2050,” said the authority’s director of energy management systems Lim Wee Seng.

More reliable solar power means less reliance on natural gas to power the country, bringing Singapore closer to its emissions targets.

HOW DOES SOLAR PREDICTION WORK?

The conversion of sunlight into electrical energy through solar technologies is always going to be inconsistent due to sporadic weather changes.

Even in tiny Singapore, sunlight levels are not the same in different locations. It could be sunny in one neighbourhood, while the next district just a few bus stops away could be experiencing spotty showers or be overcast with clouds.