By Jessica Cheam, ST
Harnessing the sun’s heat to cool a building might seem counter-intuitive.
But innovative ideas such as this are exactly what Singapore’s newly established solar research institute hopes to turn into reality.
A new research and development (R&D) centre to cement Singapore’s position as a serious solar energy player was unveiled yesterday.
It was set up by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the multi-agency Clean Energy Programme Office, managed by the Economic Development Board (EDB).
The Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore, or Seris, will get $130 million to spend over the next five years and aims to be a leading solar R&D centre in Asia, said EDB yesterday.
The centre has scored a coup by attracting Professor Joachim Luther from Germany, outgoing head of the world-renowned Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, one of Europe’s leading solar energy R&D centres.
Prof Luther said he was offered the post of Seris chief executive by NUS and EDB after talks that started last July. He said he was attracted by the opportunities here.
‘I like to make things happen – $130 million is a very reasonable budget and we can do a lot,’ said Prof Luther. He will lead an initial team of 25 researchers at Seris, which will begin operations in April at a location near NUS.
It aims to have a laboratory size of 5,000 sq m in the next five years.
Prof Luther said yesterday the centre’s holy grail is to bring down the costs of harvesting solar energy by 50 to 70 per cent through R&D.
Three research focus areas have also been identified: R&D in silicon-based solar cells to find more efficient ways of using silicon, novel photovoltaic devices and materials and innovative solutions for solar and energy efficient buildings.
Prof Luther added that he has already contacted several top-notch foreign solar researchers to join the team. The institute expects to grow to 90 researchers, and produce 50 doctorate and 20 master’s students in five years.
EDB managing director Ko Kheng Hwa described Seris as filling a ‘critical R&D gap’ in Singapore’s solar sector.
Minister of State for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran, who was guest of honour at the launch, cited the event as ‘yet another milestone in Singapore’s development of the clean energy eco-system’.
The global solar market was estimated at US$30 billion (S$42.4 billion) last year and is projected to continue its strong growth rate to reach more than US$100 billion by 2011, said Mr Iswaran.
‘Successful R&D has been and will continue to be the differentiating factor between the success stories,’ he said.
Industry players such as Mr Christophe Inglin, managing director of solar firm Phoenix Solar, welcomed the news, saying that such an R&D institute was ‘long overdue’.
‘The research areas are also commendable, and well positioned to break new ground,’ said Mr Inglin. ‘What’s left missing in the whole picture now is a local market for us to try the technology out ourselves.’
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