Don't give up on renewable energy options
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Jul 10, 2010 - ST Forum
Don't give up on renewable energy options
I REFER to by Mr Tilak K. Doshi's article on Tuesday ("Renewable energy, at what price?").
He argues that feed-in tariffs would have a regressive impact on public financing in land-scarce Singapore. On the contrary, with the abundance of public housing, solar panels could be installed on the rooftops of HDB flats, where the power generated from it can be shared among HDB unit dwellers.
This is an ideal solution for an island nation with abundant sunshine and where a majority of residents dwell in high-rise buildings.
He argues that "a growing body of research suggests there are cheaper ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions". However, his solution requires continued consumption of fossil fuels, albeit on a lower trajectory - that is, gas versus coal.
This is not to say we can do away with fossil fuels any time soon. In fact, 20 years from now, we will still be generating the bulk of our power needs from fossil fuels, but the point is if we do not start doing anything now and continue with business as usual, we are going to pay an even heavier price in terms of climate change.
There is incontrovertible evidence of rising global temperatures, retreating polar icecaps and glaciers, with concomitant rising sea levels and increasing frequencies of extreme weather conditions like flooding and droughts. The author fails to take into account that there is a price on carbon.
He argues that government largesse in promoting renewable energy is ineffective by quoting the example of Spain. He fails to mention that while mistakes have been made in government attempts to create a regulatory environment and to provide fiscal incentives that promote the development of sustainable energy, some of the lessons learnt from these nascent steps are being fine-tuned elsewhere.
In addition, a growing number of countries are starting to realise the long-term economic benefits of developing indigenous renewable energy industries.
This will take time and persistence, and giving up at this juncture could lead to potential long-term devastating consequences, with a far higher economic toll from unmitigated climate-change disasters.
Clarence Andre
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If they can be so efficient in installing the open net for the HDB flat, installing the solar panel is chicken feet.
It is due to selfish greed of a few individuals that the majority of the locals here have to be bullied with increased cost with no justification.
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Originally posted by Medicated Oil:
If they can be so efficient in installing the open net for the HDB flat, installing the solar panel is chicken feet.
It is due to selfish greed of a few individuals that the majority of the locals here have to be bullied with increased cost with no justification.
agreed with u.. but it's not only in sg... it's in the whole world... if those few in power really wan to make it happen it would have happened long long long ago already... -
it's all about making money.
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trials are now being done at 2 hdb areas to see if it's feasible.
Anyway. Contrary to believe, a roof full of solar panels can't produce much electricity as to power the whole building.
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However Solar panels do have a high net return on energy - i.e. energy output/energy input
But not necessarily high return on investment which is tragic.. We've already peaked much of our resources output we need to turn to these high net ENERGY yielding options.
Climate change crap is a hoax by the way, CO2 accounts for only like .2% of greenhouse gases? The writer is just grasping at straws here.. writing on popular opinion rather than critical thinking as usual
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Another fashionable "realist" with verbal diarrhea.
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save the notion of solar panels, just take the advent of LED lights which are now quite commonplace and prices have been relatively cheaper than the first batches...its quality is still far from expectations due to its diminishing lumens overtime...unless u get a high grade type which is also costly as well as its fittings replacement...
hence there is a need to enforce greater competition and anti-trust laws to ensure no individuals or organization monopolize any innovations if they are deemed a highly important social and environmental contribution...aside the need for government grants such as the NEA, Green Mark etc.
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Human Matrix.....endless resources....