Singapore is blessed to receive sunshine all-year round, and Rolls-Royce is harnessing the power of the sun to scale up renewable energy use in its operations.
Rolls-Royce recently announced that it will install solar panels at its Rolls-Royce Solutions Asia facility, home to its Power Systems business, located at the Tukang Innovation Park in Singapore.
This is the second solar installation for Rolls-Royce locally. In 2015, 11,700 panels were installed on the roof and carpark of the Rolls-Royce Singapore campus at Seletar Aerospace Park. They continue to supply about 10% of the campus’ energy needs.
Under a new Power Purchase Agreement, more than 2,300 solar panels will be installed on the rooftops of all three blocks of the Tukang facility, with a total capacity of 1,425-kilowatt peak.
The solar system is expected to be operational by July 2024. Once completed, it will generate enough renewable energy to meet approximately a third of the site’s energy requirements.
This will allow the facility to halve its carbon footprint, with an estimated carbon abatement of about 600 tonnes annually.
The solar system is designed to maximise energy generation by utilising 100% of the space at the facility that can support solar panels. The use of bifacial solar panels also reflects light from both surfaces.
Rolls-Royce has set a target to reduce emissions from its operations to net zero and play a leading role in enabling the sectors in which it operates to reach net zero by 2050.
In Singapore, Rolls-Royce is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its operations through three key areas of reducing energy, water, and waste, especially within its manufacturing operations. It also aims to increase the contribution of solar generating facilities to 15-20% of its energy mix within the next few years.
In addition to harnessing solar energy, Rolls-Royce has adopted a suite of measures to optimise energy efficiency.
They include motion detectors for lights in stairwells, toilets and car parks, timers for air conditioning and water heaters, and more energy efficient LED lightings. Electric vehicle charging ports are also available for colleagues who opt for a more environmentally friendly commute.
Over the long-term, Rolls-Royce is exploring the procurement of alternative renewable fuels for electrification of furnaces and zero carbon electricity.