Microsoft to buy solar power in Singapore

[Lmws214]

Microsoft to buy solar power in Singapore in first renewable deal in Asia

 

 

REUTERS

 

Mar 01, 2018

 

 

 

 

 

SINGAPORE - Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it will buy solar power from the Sunseap Group in Singapore, the technology company's first renewable energy deal in Asia.

Microsoft will purchase 100 per cent of the electricity generated from Sunseap's 60 megawatt-peak solar power project for 20 years for its Singapore data operations, the software company said in a statement. Sunseap's project consists of an array of solar panels on hundreds of rooftops across the city-state.

"This deal is Microsoft's first renewable energy deal in Asia, and is our third international clean energy announcement, following two wind deals announced in Ireland and the Netherlands in 2017," said Christian Belady, general manager, cloud infrastructure strategy and architecture at Microsoft.

Microsoft said it is on track to exceed its goal of powering 50 per cent of its global datacenter load with renewable energy this year.

 

"Once operational, the new solar project will bring Microsoft's total global direct procurement in renewable energy projects to 860 megawatts," Belady said.

The solar project is under construction and will be operational by the end of the year, the companies said.

 

 

http://www.asiaone.com/singapore/microsoft-buy-solar-power-singapore-first-renewable-deal-asia

[UncleAtas]

Ok.

[Ingenius]

Are you hoping to win the thread of the month ? Lol.

[Buadongdong]

Why would anyone buy solar power in Singapore? Looks like a sinking investment to me. Is it just buying over the group so that it can be used for other countries? Solar power in Singapore is just not workable. The kind of sunshine we have doesn't generate a lot of electricity..

[Jamesc]

  On 3/1/2018 at 7:14 AM, Buadongdong said:

Why would anyone buy solar power in Singapore? Looks like a sinking investment to me. Is it just buying over the group so that it can be used for other countries? Solar power in Singapore is just not workable. The kind of sunshine we have doesn't generate a lot of electricity..

That's what I always say.

 

Our sunshine is not as good as other countries.

 

I like the sunshine in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

 

But my wife says all sunshine is the same.

 

Maybe you can help explain to my wife?

 

[Mustank]

  On 3/1/2018 at 7:14 AM, Buadongdong said:

Why would anyone buy solar power in Singapore? Looks like a sinking investment to me. Is it just buying over the group so that it can be used for other countries? Solar power in Singapore is just not workable. The kind of sunshine we have doesn't generate a lot of electricity..

I think our kind is must do the solar water heater type

Problem is how to transfer those 80 degree hot water to electricity

I think very hard

[Kusje]

  On 3/1/2018 at 7:14 AM, Buadongdong said:

Why would anyone buy solar power in Singapore? Looks like a sinking investment to me. Is it just buying over the group so that it can be used for other countries? Solar power in Singapore is just not workable. The kind of sunshine we have doesn't generate a lot of electricity..

 

they are buying the electricity generated and not the company la. 

 

Just wondering why you think it isn't workable. Are you working in the industry?

[Buadongdong]

  On 3/1/2018 at 7:39 AM, Jamesc said:

That's what I always say.

 

Our sunshine is not as good as other countries.

 

I like the sunshine in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

 

But my wife says all sunshine is the same.

 

Maybe you can help explain to my wife?

 

Hahaha.. can just ask her to google search Global Insolation rates. I've attached one of the links here for your easy reference. Aussie is one of the best countries to harvest solar energy.. Singapore ah??       We are one of the lowest globally.. Dunno why SG gov go waste taxpayer's money into solar cells. The ROI is 50yrs maybe? Or even longer..

https://www.quora.com/Which-are-the-countries-with-the-highest-solar-radiation

  On 3/1/2018 at 7:45 AM, Mustank said:

I think our kind is must do the solar water heater type

Problem is how to transfer those 80 degree hot water to electricity

I think very hard

Even solar water heater type also depends on our weather. Singapore weather is so unpredictable with Clouds overcover most of the days makes it not worth the investment. But thats on a home scale.. it might be worth doing it in a commercial scale.

  On 3/1/2018 at 7:55 AM, Kusje said:

they are buying the electricity generated and not the company la. 

 

Just wondering why you think it isn't workable. Are you working in the industry?

With the insolation rates that ASEAN have, its just not worth doing it. Unless the cost of PV cells go down so much such that the ROI is 10yrs, then it would be more worth it to do. Don't only think that one can get "free" energy once installed. There are maintenance costs and these sums are not small. Every 1mm of dust covering the PV cell will reduce its efficiency by 3-5%. Singapore, although not as dusty as our neighbours, is still considered dusty in global terms. So all in all, not worth lor.. 

Btw, the above is just my personal opinion.

[kdash]

  On 3/1/2018 at 8:06 AM, Buadongdong said:

Hahaha.. can just ask her to google search Global Insolation rates. I've attached one of the links here for your easy reference. Aussie is one of the best countries to harvest solar energy.. Singapore ah??       We are one of the lowest globally.. Dunno why SG gov go waste taxpayer's money into solar cells. The ROI is 50yrs maybe? Or even longer..

https://www.quora.com/Which-are-the-countries-with-the-highest-solar-radiation

Even solar water heater type also depends on our weather. Singapore weather is so unpredictable with Clouds overcover most of the days makes it not worth the investment. But thats on a home scale.. it might be worth doing it in a commercial scale.

With the insolation rates that ASEAN have, its just not worth doing it. Unless the cost of PV cells go down so much such that the ROI is 10yrs, then it would be more worth it to do. Don't only think that one can get "free" energy once installed. There are maintenance costs and these sums are not small. Every 1mm of dust covering the PV cell will reduce its efficiency by 3-5%. Singapore, although not as dusty as our neighbours, is still considered dusty in global terms. So all in all, not worth lor.. 

Btw, the above is just my personal opinion.

 

engineer talk 

[Jamesc]

We have over 5 million people maybe we should collect natural gas.

 

[Yewheng]

  On 3/1/2018 at 8:17 AM, kdash said:

engineer talk

Eh.. With technology improvements, I believe that they may have found ways to make the solar penals way more efficient already. Microsoft may had also done a research about that company and etc also leh.

[kdash]

  On 3/1/2018 at 8:26 AM, Yewheng said:

Eh.. With technology improvements, I believe that they may have found ways to make the solar penals way more efficient already. Microsoft may had also done a research about that company and etc also leh.

 

possible. Microsoft may also have some R&D tech which they already have... 

[Buadongdong]

  On 3/1/2018 at 8:26 AM, Yewheng said:

Eh.. With technology improvements, I believe that they may have found ways to make the solar penals way more efficient already. Microsoft may had also done a research about that company and etc also leh.

No matter how efficient a PV cell can be, there is a theoretical maximum of 29%.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/renewables/efficiency-of-solar-cells-continues-to-climb

Imagine you only harvest 29% (theoretical) of the energy all the time. Not forgetting Insolation in SG is just so damn poor. So how much quality energy do we really harvest?

For example, take it that aussie is 100% insolation, so we are at the 10-20%. 20% x 29% is only 5.8%. Thats how much quality energy we are harvesting. Maybe to light up the streets is ok. But to power up a building is just absurd. 

 

Disclaimer: above figures are not official figures from agencies around the world. Its just to show a simple calculation of the efficiency of solar power in SG

  On 3/1/2018 at 8:19 AM, Jamesc said:

We have over 5 million people maybe we should collect natural gas.

 

新西兰的牛口比新加坡人口多。Think collect natural gas in NZ better.. More profitable.. hehehe.  

Edited March 1, 2018 by Buadongdong

[Yewheng]

  On 3/1/2018 at 8:39 AM, Buadongdong said:

No matter how efficient a PV cell can be, there is a theoretical maximum of 29%.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/renewables/efficiency-of-solar-cells-continues-to-climb

Imagine you only harvest 29% (theoretical) of the energy all the time. Not forgetting Insolation in SG is just so damn poor. So how much quality energy do we really harvest?

For example, take it that aussie is 100% insolation, so we are at the 10-20%. 20% x 29% is only 5.8%. Thats how much quality energy we are harvesting. Maybe to light up the streets is ok. But to power up a building is just absurd.

 

Disclaimer: above figures are not official figures from agencies around the world. Its just to show a simple calculation of the efficiency of solar power in SG

Don't underestimate advancement in technology lor.. Last time before aircraft was invented, people say not possible to fly one. But the it happened. Then when aircraft can fly, many people doubt it could sustain in air for long, then it happened again that flight can substan in the air for more then 10 hours. So anything is possible with advancement in technology. We will never know what those solar panels company may had found out or what and come out with even better panels but not in the market yet.

[Buadongdong]

  On 3/1/2018 at 8:43 AM, Yewheng said:

Don't underestimate advancement in technology lor.. Last time before aircraft was invented, people say not possible to fly one. But the it happened. Then when aircraft can fly, many people doubt it could sustain in air for long, then it happened again that flight can substan in the air for more then 10 hours. So anything is possible with advancement in technology. We will never know what those solar panels company may had found out or what and come out with even better panels but not in the market yet.

Yah.. of course there might be a new discovery.. The world would also hope for an advancement so we can rely less on fossil fuels. But until that day comes, solar in SG is still not feasible. Hopefully some genius can invent something cheap and good. The whole world can benefit from it.

[Jamesc]

With natural gas I think my MIL can power a small building.

 

[Jamesc]

  On 3/1/2018 at 8:45 AM, Buadongdong said:

Yah.. of course there might be a new discovery.. The world would also hope for an advancement so we can rely less on fossil fuels. But until that day comes, solar in SG is still not feasible. Hopefully some genius can invent something cheap and good. The whole world can benefit from it.

I posted my suggestion a few years ago.

 

Dig big swimming pools in deserts like in Saudi Arabia and cover with glass made from sand from the desert.

 

Fill the pools with sea water.

 

The sun will evaporate the water on the glass roof and use the water to irrigate the desert.

 

Collect the salt to use as molten salt in solar towers.

 

This will reduce sea level, green the desert and provide molten salt for solar towers reducing the need for fossil fuels.

 

Keep doing this until every desert is green fields.

 

Edited March 1, 2018 by Jamesc

[RadX]

  On 3/1/2018 at 8:19 AM, Jamesc said:

We have over 5 million people maybe we should collect natural gas.

 

 

@spring enuf to power planet earth for 200 years