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Save Cash, Save The Earth With Green Energy

Will you like to test yourself to see how much you know about Climate Change? 

About Green Power? A way to fight Climate Change? 


Singapore faces rising seas and temperatures because of climate change. 

In recent years, there have been more days here when maximum temperatures exceeded 34 deg C.


Meanwhile, other countries face devastation by super storms, droughts and wildfires.

Experts say that one way people can fight climate change is by switching to green energy. 


The time to act, say experts, is now.


Save cash, save the earth with green energy?


Sketch guesses in charts to see how plugged-in you are about green power - a way to fight climate change. Find out how plugged-in you are about this by sketching answers in the charts below.


https://graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/Interactives/2018/11/green-power/index.htmlfbclid=IwAR2yDkspOPzpGZZKgpSPsz8iVTORCzDydVOxNEGmlPjn8CrlYjEhi_o4UUU

PUBLISHED: NOV 25, 2018 - Straits Times Singapore 


How does the cost of solar energy compare with that of gas?


Note: These are selected mean levelised cost of energy values. They relate to the North American alternative energy landscape, but reflect global cost declines.


Across the world, producing green energy is becoming cheaper, according to a study by investment bank Lazard.


The costs of non-renewable energy sources, or black energy such as nuclear and coal, are stagnating or increasing. 


This gives governments reasons to pursue cheaper and environmentally friendly sources like solar.


In Singapore, where 95 per cent of electricity is produced using natural gas, solar electricity retailers have been reportedly offering price plans that allow eligible consumers to tap varying amounts of solar energy, and to enjoy savings of between 15 per cent and 20 per cent.


What percentage of energy use in Singapore comes from renewable power?

Source: World Bank


Note: Renewable energy consumption as a percentage of total final energy consumption.


Singapore is aiming to increase solar deployment from the current 47 megawatt-peak (MWp) of electricity to 350MWp by 2020, according to the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) website.


By 2030, it is estimated that renewable energy could potentially satisfy up to 8 per cent of Singapore’s peak electricity demand.


95 per cent

Amount of electricity in Singapore produced using natural gas. 


Though natural gas is considered one of the cleanest forms of fossil fuels, its combustion still contributes to the production of greenhouse gases.


The Republic lacks fast-flowing waters to generate hydropower.


Commercial wind turbines operate at wind speeds of above 4.5m per second, but the average wind speed here is about 2m per second, according to the NCCS website.


While solar power is seen as the most promising green source of energy for the sunny island, unpredictable sunshine due to cloud cover is a drawback.


The Energy Market Authority will drive the development of energy storage systems.


These will help maintain a stable supply of energy, and is crucial for Singapore’s goal in exploiting its huge potential in solar power.


How did Singapore compare with other economies in its use of renewable energy in 2015?


Source: World Bank


Note: Renewable energy consumption as a percentage of total final energy consumption in 2015.


Compared with Singapore, Iceland is way ahead in using green power as it has natural advantages such as glaciers and rivers that are good for hydropower generation, and geothermal fields.


$37 billion

Amount Asean needs to invest each year to hit the target of renewable power making up 23 per cent of its energy mix by 2025, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. This is almost double the 12.4 per cent level in 2016.


Singapore is moving forward with its green energy efforts. A solar panel system roughly the size of five football fields will be ready in 2019.


Developed by Sunseap Group, it will be “one of the world’s largest” sea-based floating photovoltaic systems and will be be near Singapore’s northern shores, the firm says.


The system will be able to generate enough energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2,600 tonnes every year over the next 25 years and beyond.


IN MOST REGIONS AROUND THE WORLD, INVESTMENT IN LOW-CARBON POWER GENERATION IS OUTSTRIPPING INVESTMENT IN FOSSIL FUEL-BASED POWER. SOUTH-EAST ASIA IS AN EXCEPTION. 


ONE PERSISTENT MYTH... IS THAT COAL IS THE CHEAPEST ENERGY RESOURCE... 


MOST COUNTRIES DO NOT INCORPORATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH COSTS OF BURNING COAL INTO POWER PRICES.

MS XIAODONG WANG, SENIOR ENERGY SPECIALIST AT THE WORLD BANK, TOLD THE STRAITS TIMES.


To limit global warming to the UN climate panel’s target of 1.5 deg C, how much should coal-based power decrease by 2050?


Coal production per million tonnes

Source: BP 


There has to be a 97 per cent decrease from 2010 coal-based energy levels to reach the 1.5 deg C target.


The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said recently that the world needs to make rapid and big changes to limit the rise in the planet’s surface temperature to 1.5 deg C.


An increase beyond that would result in deadlier weather extremes, habitat loss, falling crop yields, and higher sea levels.

1.3 per cent


Proportion of Singapore’s electricity generation coming from coal energy in 2017.


If one combined the implied emissions from the currently operating coal plants over their lifetimes with emissions from those under construction now, as well as from a fraction of those that are proposed, the total would more than eat up coal’s share of the so-called “carbon budget”. This is from a report by CoalSwarm, and fellow environmental groups Sierra Club and Greenpeace.


This carbon budget is for keeping the planet’s warming below 2 deg C, never mind the bolder 1.5 deg C target.


What percentage of energy consumed should come from green sources by 2050 to limit global warming to the 1.5 deg C target?


Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, International Renewable Energy Agency


To increase the proportion of green power, countries would have to move rapidly away from coal, oil and gas, and invest heavily in renewable energy.


The cost? Investments in clean energy totalling US$2.4 trillion (S$3.3 trillion) would be needed every year from 2016 to 2035, and coal-fired power would have to be cut to almost nothing by 2050, said the IPCC.


The panel highlighted a decline in crop yields in South-east Asia and reduced nutritional value of rice under a scenario of a 2 deg C increase. This may hit Singapore’s food security.


Source: Lazard, World Bank, BP, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, International Renewable Energy Agency, Bloomberg.


Produced by: Chee Wei XianChen DanningDavid 

FogartyDenise ChongDerek WongPooja SharmaRodolfo Carlos PazosSui JianbinTin May Linn

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