How constraints made Singapore into a top solar city
Probably the most solar-dense city in the world today.
With solar on land, over water and at sea; Singapore is probably the most solar-dense city in the world. And it's set to get even more solar installations.
The hunt for renewables
It is an irony. Singapore never had it easy: Not enough water, no natural resources, and not enough land to feed its people.
It was supposed to fail. But it overcame the challenges.
Fast-forward 60 years, and the reality of its constraints is biting again. In the era of sustainability, its limited land means traditional solar farms aren't an option.
From 500 to 11,000 installations
But invest in solar Singapore did, because there are no other viable options.
- The wind is not strong enough.
- The waves are not high enough.
- Geothermal looks promising but is limited.
So, Singapore turned to solar.
According to the EMA, there were around 10,978 solar photovoltaic (PV) installations at the end of 2024, up from a mere 523 a decade ago.
As of end-2024, Singapore has also hit its 2025 target of 1.5GWp of installed PV capacity.
Most varied range of solar installations
Singapore made solar work by installing PV systems wherever it could.
It's somewhat mind-boggling:
- Floating panels across multiple reservoirs.
- Near-shore floating PV platforms at sea.
- On the rooftops of HDB flats.
- Ground-mounted panels.
As observed by EMA's TOH Wee Khiang in a recent post, Singapore probably has the most varied range of solar installations.
Solar, solar, everywhere
It is not stopping there though. There are other deployment options being rolled out or studied for feasibility.
Being rolled out:
- Vertical deployments: Solar panels on walls.
- Canopy-based: Mount them over walkways.
The use of "Structural PV" is currently being studied. These are solar panels over:
- Roads.
- Canals.
- Between buildings.
What's next for Singapore?
For now, the goal is to install at least 2GWp of solar PV systems by 2030. Beyond that are multiple plans to import renewables. But that's a post for another day.
