Clean energy solutions like smart grid and LED technologies are emerging trends that provide a glimmer of hope for the efficient use energy in the near future.
A In the morning, a building manager encourages office workers or tenants driving electric cars to “donate” their cars’ energy by plugging it into the building, so as to store up energy during costly periods.
He then proceeds to take hourly real time electricity pricing tariff readings and then email his tenants to reduce electricity consumption during the afternoons and instead make use of the stored energy.
In return, electric car owners will be given cash rebates and other incentives while tenants can manage their energy bills more efficiently.
Sounds like a scene straight out from a sci-fi movie?
Not really.
Speaking at the Clean Energy Expo Asia in Singapore recently, experts say using smart grid technology would be the norm, as buildings in the near future would incorporate such technology for electrical power distribution resulting in higher energy efficiency and greater intelligence.
Smart grid technology
But what exactly is smart grid technology? A smart grid is one that delivers electricity from power generation companies to consumers using a two-way digital technology to control appliances in homes. Such grid also combines electricity distribution grid with an information grid using advanced metering systems.
Experts say future buildings will be installed with dual AC and DC electrical networks to optimise energy efficiency and to provide greater flexibility. However, some inherent challenges remain.
“The AC grid’s standard, which was drawn up 100 years ago, is not meant for today’s modern form of lighting and electronic volts,” says Dr Tseng King Jet, head of division, division of power engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
Singapore currently uses a 230 volt AC network while modern equipment requires about 5 volts. Dr Tseng said power distribution in the form of a low voltage DC grid, using say a 24 volt DC grid as the standard, would be very compatible with modern electronic equipment, appliances and lighting.
In the current AC system converting such high voltage potential into something much lower “incurs a lot of losses in the conversion process. If we have [the DC] power distribution, the losses will be much lower with energy savings of up to 10 to 30 percent,” says Dr Tseng.
Wait and see approach
So is Singapore ready for such technology? According to Dr Tseng, Singapore is still in its testing phase and watching for developments in other parts of the world before adopting a standard. “We do not want to be too ambitious and try to say we are going overnight to convert everything to DC. Then you will find your computer adaptors will not be able to be plugged in as they are meant to be plugged to the AC grid,” says Dr Tseng.
Currently, the Energy Research Team at NTU and members of the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) are working hand-in-hand to test this technology by trying out the DC grid in the ceiling for light-emitting diode (LED) lighting at NTU’s campus and members’ buildings.
“We think that LED is inherently DC so we can work hand in hand with LED lighting manufacturers like Osram, Philips and get them to provide LED lamps that have the AC to DC staged conversion bypassed. It is good for them to bypass as it lowers the manufacturing costs,” says Dr Tseng.
LED technology
Speaking of LED, experts have cited it as another promising clean energy for the future. According to experts, the adoption rate in the real estate and construction industries are very high despite a lack of regional standards in terms of performance. “LED is such a hot technology right now. It’s like the iPod. There hasn’t been a standard of how we use iPod but yet the adoption standard is very high. People are very excited about this new technology,” says My K Ton, International Resource Group’s regional energy efficient lighting expert.
LED is a semi-conductor light source that is increasingly being used in new green buildings in Singapore. Singapore’s first eco-friendly mall, City Square Mall by City Developments Limited (CDL), for instance, features a supermarket that uses energy-efficient LED lighting in chillers and freezers. When used correctly, LED technology can result in energy efficient lightings as it emits more light per watt than incandescent bulbs. This translates to up to 90 percent savings on a building’s energy bill.
Ton additionally emphasizes the need to for professionals working on zero energy buildings or low carbon buildings to work with “some good lighting experts” so that the application meets expected standards.
Limitations
However, developers looking to incorporate LED technology in their existing buildings may be sorely disappointed. Experts say its application in existing buildings may be currently limited to outdoor areas like street, public, park and garage lighting.
This is because unlike fluorescent lighting, most current LED technology only shines light in one direction, which makes it much more challenging to light up a building’s interior. “To find the right replacement for something like that is much more challenging. Designers have to come up with a better design,” says Ton. He says designers are currently trying to create an LED tube that can replace the fluorescent lamp.
However, he feels such solution may not be the best way to optimise LED technology. “The opportunity here is that designer can come up with better looking fixtures, better performing LED fixtures so we are not limited to taking one technology and replacing it with another using the same format,” says Ton.
A ray of light
Although the regional standard for new lighting technology and its use in interiors may still be light years away, developers can still incorporate guidelines formulated by organizations an governments in the United States and Europe. Whether discussing LED or Smart Grid initiatives the debate over standards and directions is unlikely to ever outstrip the development in product innovation.
