Solar energy to help power 18 sites on Sentosa
Solar panels will be installed on rooftops of Universal Studios attractions, among others
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Solar panels will soon help power 18 Sentosa sites, including well-loved attractions in Universal Studios Singapore (USS), to make the island more environmentally friendly.
These panels will be installed on the roofs of attractions such as the Revenge Of The Mummy roller coaster, among others.
The sites were picked based on factors such as sufficient sunlight, renovation plans of buildings and whether the panels would obstruct guest experience.
In a statement yesterday, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) said these installations mark the first milestone in its aim of meeting 10 per cent of the island's energy needs with renewable energy.
When the solar panels are fully installed by next year, SDC said they will produce over 3.8 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy a year.
This will neutralise the carbon emissions of around 60,000 hotel room nights, the statement added.
The solar panels will meet 1 per cent to 2 per cent of Sentosa's total energy usage at last year's levels, said SDC in response to queries from The Straits Times.
SDC divisional director of planning Lee Cheh Hsien said: "This is the first wave of large-scale solar installations in Sentosa.
"We have plans to install more solar panels in the coming years."
SDC is also experimenting with other forms of renewable energy such as tidal energy, and waste-to-energy generators.
This comes under its commitment to net-zero emissions by 2030, as announced in its sustainability road map last year where it pledged to invest in more renewable energy infrastructure and food recycling efforts.
When the solar panels are fully installed by next year, SDC said they will produce over 3.8 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy a year. This will neutralise the carbon emissions of around 60,000 hotel room nights.
On the other renewable energy alternatives being studied, the statement said: "Small-scale pilots are currently being explored with the view to scaling these solutions for mass deployment should the trials prove successful."
Installation of solar panels on the roofs of 11 sites run by Resorts World Sentosa, such as the USS rides and the Hard Rock Hotel, will begin this month.
The tender to install solar panels at the other seven sites, managed by SDC, such as the cable car stations and Beach Station on the Sentosa monorail, began yesterday.
Even though these rooftops are of different sizes and have varying tenure lengths, SDC said the rights for each site will be consolidated into a single tender to make it more economically viable for vendors.
SDC chief executive Thien Kwee Eng said: "Solar is one of the most viable renewable sources of energy for Sentosa and Singapore.
"Using this approach, the initiative will take us one step further towards being a sustainable leisure destination with a lower carbon footprint."
