Solar
energy remains the most promising renewable energy source for Singapore when it
comes to electricity generation. With an average annual solar irradiance of
1,150 kWh/m2/year and about 50 percent more solar radiation than
temperate countries, solar photovoltaic (PV) generation has the greatest
potential for wider deployment in Singapore.
The
principle of converting the solar energy incident on the earth as light and
heat into electrical energy is quite simple: the photons, particles of light
from the sun, make contact with a solar cell and are directly converted into
electrical current. The process is silent and smooth. A solar electricity plant
is low-maintenance and a reliable generator of electricity for many years to
come, whatever the weather.
