Solar System Technology Group

The group runs extensive research programmes that are the scientific base to analyse and optimise the performance of solar PV systems in the tropics. They include outdoor energy yield evaluation on both module and system levels to better understand the performance and degradation of various PV module technologies in Singapore’s tropical climate conditions. Beyond the tropics, the team also carries out comparative research on PV module and system performance across different climate zones (within the “TruePower” project). A major emphasis of the group is on integrated PV applications, such as “Floating Solar”, “Urban Solar” and “Agrivoltaics”, with the goal of developing technologies and solutions that maximise solar deployment in Singapore while addressing challenges such as high urbanisation and space constraints. A special focus is “Floating Solar”. The group has established international leadership in this field by building deep technical expertise in system design, implementation, operation and maintenance, as well as energy-yield assessment through the MW-scale floating PV testbed at the Tengeh Reservoir and a wide range of technical consultancy projects. Current research is expanding toward near-shore and offshore floating solar to evaluate its potential for co-location with applications such as aquaculture and desalination. The “Urban Solar” activities include the design, test-bedding and optimisation of innovative concepts that integrate PV into existing infrastructures, such as carparks, roadways, flood canals and rooftop spaces with high utilisation. Under “Agrivoltaics”, the group operates both soil-based and soil-less agrivoltaic testbeds in Singapore, covering the full process from concept development to implementation, testing and optimisation. These efforts aim to develop practical urban-farming solutions that balance energy generation, energy consumption and crop yield.