Delaying renewable energy will make it costlier eventually [News]

By Dennis Posadas, The Business Times, 26 Nov 2011.

Recently, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released its 134-page report on the state of energy in the world. In the World Energy Outlook 2011 report, it said the growth of renewable energy is underpinned by subsidies that will rise from US$64 billion in 2010 to an estimated US$250 billion in 2035 – a lifeline that cannot be taken for granted in this time of fiscal austerity.

According to IEA chief economist Fatih Birol, ‘delaying action is a false economy. For every US$1 of investment in cleaner technology that is avoided in the power sector before 2020, an additional US$4.30 would need to be spent after 2020 to compensate for the increased emissions.’

This means that if we wait nine years more to act, costs to shift to clean energy can multiply by as much as four times what it is now.

However, the Singapore and Philippine governments do not take subsidies as a means to encourage renewable energy sources. Read more

Don’t expect breakthrough in Durban climate talks: Dr Balakrishnan [News]

By Joanne Chan, Channel NewsAsia, 23 Nov 2011.

Singapore Minister for Environment and Water Resources, Vivian Balakrishnan, is not expecting a breakthrough in climate talks in Durban next month.

He said that given the current global financial crisis and political problems in many developed countries, negotiations will be difficult.

Negotiators from nearly 200 countries will head to the South African city for two weeks to discuss implementing measures to combat climate change.

Disagreements between developed and developing nations over who should take responsibility for carbon emissions are threatening to paralyse climate change talks. Read more

Bike-sharing scheme back in the saddle [News]

By Royston Sim, The Straits Times, 20 Nov 2011.

Public bike sharing is making a comeback in Singapore, more than three years after an earlier scheme was scrapped due to low ridership.

A group of investors, led by avid cyclist Francis Chu, is planning to launch a pilot programme here as early as January next year.

The new project, said Mr Chu, is modelled after successful bike-sharing schemes in London and Paris.

‘A successful bike-sharing scheme will not only help increase the number of cyclists here but also create safer roads for them,’ he said. The 51-year-old, who is also a founder of local cycling group Lovecycling.sg, said he wants to make cycling more viable as a form of transportation for commuters here. Read more

A requiem for their electric dreams … [News]

By Esther Ng, Today, 14 Nov 2011.

Imagine building cars out of a workshop the size of a three-room HDB flat. That was what Mr Clarence Tan, 28, planned to do in 2008, after he had invested S$250,000 to set up The Green Car Company (TGCC). His dream was to manufacture 2,500 two-seater, air-conditioned electric cars a year, starting from last year.

Three years on, TGCC did not make a single car. The project has since been shelved.

Mr Tan, who is now focusing on his existing robotics business, is not the only entrepreneur who had his grand electric vehicle (EV) dreams dashed: The same year that Mr Tan set up TGCC, Mr Lim Kian Wee, then 36, reportedly quit his S$200,000-a-year engineering job, liquidated his investments and took out his retirement savings to start green technology firm Ample. Read more

Smart way to light up offices and cut power bill [News]

By Feng Zengkun, The Straits Times, 12 Nov 2011.

Let there be light – but not too much of it, please.

Researchers in Singapore are trying out a new way to keep offices lit that uses only half as much energy.

This is done by letting office workers customise the light that falls on their desks.

In most offices, each cubicle is lit by an individual ceiling bulb that can only be switched on or off.

In the researchers’ project, workers can specify the level of brightness they want with a remote control.

This is done through a smart LED lighting grid combined with motion and light sensors at each desk.

The system will even take into account ambient light such as daylight and glare from the neighbours’ bulbs when adjusting the brightness overhead. Read more

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