Singapore Sets New 2035 Solar Goal and Expands Public-Sector Installations

Singapore will broaden the use of solar panels on public sites such as carports, building walls and vacant land to meet a revised 2035 target of 4 GWp, Minister of State for Energy, Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang said at the Asia Clean Energy Summit. The country has already installed about 2.3 GWp, up from a previous goal of 3 GWp by 2030.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) is issuing a tender that will pool demand from government agencies for solar-carports and building-integrated photovoltaics, creating larger contracts for the industry. A new framework will appoint a panel of installers to assess government buildings and propose tailored solutions.

JTC launched two innovation challenges to spur commercial solutions. The first seeks façade-mounted panels that can overcome design, orientation and maintenance constraints, while the second calls for quickly deployable containerised solar units paired with mobile battery storage to replace diesel generators at temporary worksites. Selected projects will receive funding for development and testing.

EMA also announced a partnership with the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore to build a one-stop digital portal that aggregates information and services for owners of landed homes, helping them connect with installers and explore group-purchase options.

In addition, EMA signed an agreement with Swiss research centre CSEM to pilot solar roof tiles on heritage state buildings, aiming to preserve architectural character while adding generation capacity. The collaboration will cover research, standards testing and pilot projects.

Gan noted that even with these measures, solar is expected to supply at most 10 % of Singapore’s electricity by 2050, and that regional low-carbon electricity imports will remain important. Singapore plans to support ASEAN guidelines for submarine power cable projects and aims to have the guidelines endorsed by 2027.