A Singapore microgrid will act as a testing ground for new technologies, under a program sponsored by the Singapore Energy Market Authority.
The authority has issued a solicitation that seeks proposals to test reliability technologies at the Pulau Ubin Microgrid. The authority hopes to spur commercialization of successful systems.
Proposals are due October 10. Interested bidders are encouraged to participate in an August 26 solicitation briefing.
The request for proposals marks the second phase of the microgrid project. In the first phase, the authority selected a local consortium to build the microgrid, which allow islanders to forego use of diesel generation, in favor of solar and biodiesel.
Pulau Ubin is a small island in northeastern Singapore. The microgrid now serves about 30 energy users on the island, among them restaurants, stores, telecommunications base stations, homes and government agencies. The microgrid’s customers are paying 80 cents/kWh, which is less than their electricity rate using the diesel generators, according to the authority.
The authority is inviting vendors to use the microgrid to test energy management systems, energy storage, monitoring and other technologies. The goal is to better understand intermittency, increase the microgrid’s stability and field test ways to improve its operation.
By way of example, the authority said the technologies might focus on environmental and weather monitoring, microgrid control systems, data collection and monitoring, system monitoring, advanced batteries, flywheels, capacitor banks and intelligent control and switching mechanisms.
The authority hopes the microgrid will serve as a model that will be adopted by other off-grid communities as a made-in-Singapore product.
Projects will be chosen based on their:
- Relevance to the power grid on mainland Singapore
- Projected economic benefits, including job creation and potential for commercialized spin-offs
- Technological innovation
- Team track record
- Financial support requested
Bidding is open to colleges and universities, public agencies, not-for-profit organizations and private companies. Funds awarded through the RFP must be spent in Singapore. The authority will award up to 50 percent of project costs, which includes the cost of the equipment and its installation and removal.
The RFP is available on the Singapore Energy Market Authority website.
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