Reducing your Carbon Footprint: 3 Solar Energy Plans to Consider

As a business, energy consumption usually forms a big part of a company’s carbon footprint. If your company is looking to go green, switching to renewable energy is a great way to start.

In Singapore, companies are increasingly opting for Solar Energy to cut down on their carbon emissions. Check out these 3 broad solar energy plans that you can consider for your business.

1. Solar Leasing or Solar Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) Plans

How they work: 

• ‘Solar as a service’: The solar developer owns, operates and maintains the solar panels on your rooftop, and you pay for the electricity generated monthly. 
• Zero capital cost and enables you to purchase electricity at fixed (usually discounted) rates. 
• Solar leasing plans can range from at least 5 to more than 20 years.

[Source: Solar AI Technologies]

Suitable for:

• Building and property owners with enough roof space (usually around 2,500 sqm) to install the solar panels 
• Did you know? If you are a JTC lessee, you can tap on JTC’s SolarRoof programme to adopt solar leasing. 

Benefits: 

• Low capital expenditure 
• Savings in your electricity bills
• Stable electricity price 

Find out more here. 

2. Solar Electricity Plans

How they work: 

• These plans include electricity that is either a certain % or 100% generated from solar panels installed elsewhere in Singapore. 
• When the electricity generated from these external panels (‘green electricity’) are exported into the grid, it is mixed with electricity generated from fossil fuels (‘brown electricity’) –  this makes it physically hard to differentiate between ‘green’ and ‘brown’ electricity. 
• Hence, solar electricity plans make use of renewable energy certificates (RECs), which certify that for every 1 MWh of solar-generated electricity exported to the grid, 1 REC is generated. 
• When a company buys the RECs (which are included in the solar electricity plan), they can then claim that the electricity they buy is from renewable sources. 

[Source: 8 Billion Trees]

Suitable for: 

• Office tenants and companies who don’t own the property they operate in. 

Benefits: 

• Relatively easy to switch to solar electricity plans 
• Convenient way to support the purchase of solar-generated electricity

Find out more here.

3. Direct Purchase

How it works: 

• You’ll pay for installing and maintaining the solar panels, and this model allows you to own the solar PV system 

Suitable for: 

• Building or property owners who have sufficient roof space 

Benefits: 

• Usually provides the most savings compared to the above 2 options in the long run → the electricity generated from your panels is free! 

Find out more here. 

Need help in reducing your carbon footprint? Reach out to us at cplcsg@unglobalcompact.sg and we can connect you with sustainable solution providers in our GCNS and CPLC community.