Test Bedding

TEST BEDDING

Singapore has developed a suite of supporting services and opportunities for firms and researchers to develop, test and validate clean-energy technologies in real-world settings. Test bedding facilitates the commercialisation process for new technologies and positions Singapore as a "living laboratory" to evaluate, pilot and commercialise innovative solutions for Asian and global markets.

Examples of Test Beds in Singapore

CleanTech Park is being developed by JTC Corporation as the first eco-business park in the region. It will cluster clean technology companies together and serve as a platform for test bedding and prototyping of clean technologies and sustainable urban solutions. The 50ha Park at Nanyang Avenue will be developed in three phases over the next 20 years. Upon completion, it will house a working population of 20,000 green collar workers.
PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, in collaboration with Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), launched a 1 megawatt-peak (MWp) floating solar photovoltaic (PV) testbed at Tengeh Reservoir in 2016. The pilot project aims to assess the feasibility and cost effectiveness of installing floating solar PV systems on freshwater reservoirs. Through such solar deployments, PUB seeks to generate renewable energy to power its operations and reduce carbon footprint. The results were favourable and showed that floating solar PV systems performed 5 to 15 per cent better than a typical rooftop solar PV system in Singapore, primarily due to the cooler temperatures of the reservoir environment. After extensive studies, PUB built two small-scale pilots of 1.5MWp floating solar PV systems in Lower Seletar Reservoir and Bedok Reservoir, as well as a large scale 60MWp floating solar PV system in Tengeh Reservoir. Continuous monitoring at the floating solar PV systems has shown that water quality is not affected and there is no significant impact on wildlife at the reservoirs. PUB will continue to explore the solar deployment potential of other reservoirs in Singapore. Slated for completion in 2028, the upcoming 86 MWp floating solar PV system on Pandan Reservoir will be PUB’s second large-scale floating PV project.
The Renewable Energy Integration Demonstrator in Singapore (REIDS) is a large-scale offshore test and demonstration microgrid located in Semakau Landfill which integrates renewable energy production from solar, wind, tidal, biofuel and fuel cells with smart grid technologies.
Punggol Eco-Town demonstrates sustainable urban planning and design, green technology adoption and active community partnership. Social, economic and environmental considerations have been formulated by HDB to steer its development. LED lighting and elevator energy regenerative systems, renewable solar energy, water conservation and rainwater harvesting systems, and recycling solutions are some of the technologies and solutions being test-bedded. HDB is also working with government agencies such as the EMA to pilot the IES smart grid project, and with industry partners such as Panasonic to test-bed Home Energy Management Systems, to monitor energy consumption to reduce overall energy consumption within the town.
Punggol Digital District is a 50ha business park district located within Punggol Town. It is targeted at key growth industries of the digital economy, such as cybersecurity, machine learning, IoT and smart city solutions. The project also showcases smart nation initiatives, and companies can test-bed the latest smart city ideas and technologies.
The HDB Greenprint is a framework of goals and strategies to guide town development, in alignment with Singapore's Sustainable Blueprint targets to reduce the consumption of resources from current Business-As-Usual levels. Greenprint aims to create sustainable homes with the community in both existing and new HDB towns. The pilot programme in the Yuhua estate was launched in 2012 and was completed by 2015. It aimed to introduce energy-efficient, water management and waste management features to the estate. In 2015, the programme was extended to 40 blocks of flats in the Teck Ghee estate.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Test Bed is driven by a multi-agency EV Taskforce co-led by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA). It aims to assess different EV prototypes and charging technologies under Singapore's urbanised environment and road conditions. Phase 1 of the test-bed was launched in June 2011 and completed in December 2013. Phase 2 will be an EV car-sharing programme which will introduce up to 1,000 EVs and the charging infrastructure to trial viability of implementing EV fleets and catalyse widespread adoption of EVs. Singapore largest vehicle-to-grid (V2G) test bed to date was launched in 2023 in the Punggol region.
BE Innovation Hub (BEIH) at BCA’s Braddell Campus is envisioned to be a collaborative space to connect like-minded individuals, showcase innovative technologies and ideas, and transfer knowledge to accelerate the transformation of the Built Environment (BE). One use of the space is for it to be a “living laboratory”, allowing collaborators to be co-located on the same campus, so as to be able to conduct research, test-bed and refine in-demand BE solutions in a real world environment. One example is the Zero Energy Building Plus (ZEB Plus) demonstration facility that has evolved from achieving net zero energy consumption since 2009 to becoming Singapore's first positive energy building in 2022.
Jurong Lake District (JLD) is one of the new growth areas identified in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Master Plan 2008 to support Singapore's economic growth for the next 10 to 15 years, and to decentralise commercial activities out of the city centre by bringing jobs closer to where people live. JLD is envisioned to be a model for a mixed-used urban precinct that is sustainable, smart and connected. The government will collaborate with the industry to conduct pilots and trials of smart technologies within JLD. In October 2022, Singapore announced that Jurong Lake District will aim to achieve net zero emissions for new developments around 2045.
Smart Campus Platform - Temasek Polytechnic, on January 2015, announced their collaboration with private sector firms such as Cisco, EMC, NCS and Johnson Controls, focusing on ICT solutions for education. The platform will utilise innovative technologies to collect and analyse data to improve decision making on campus, enhancing the work and education experience on campus.