We support the sustainable development of our communities by investing in initiatives that have a profound impact on people’s lives. These partnerships are part of our Community Investment strategy which supports the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 to ensure access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for all.
Here are some key projects where we collaborated closely with various local stakeholder groups to contribute positively through our integrated solutions:
Advancing sustainability in solar photovoltaics
We partnered with Singapore Polytechnic (SP) in 2022 to set up the first solar photovoltaic (PV) research lab in the campus as a testbed to explore applications of PV technologies. This was accompanied by the launch of Singapore’s first end-to-end solar PV recycling line which promoted sustainable end-of-life management of solar PV panels to support a circular economy. The system has a target recycling capacity of 80 panels a day and a recovery rate of up to 95%.
SP-Sembcorp Solar PV Research Laboratory
Located within the SP campus, the lab explores applications of PV technologies, incubates new ideas for PV R&D projects and tests new PV equipment and systems. It is also used for training students in relevant diploma programmes such as Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering and for Continuing Education Training programmes.
SP Solar PV Pilot Demonstration Recycling Line in Collaboration with Sembcorp
This is Singapore’s first solar PV recycling plant with patented technology to recover valuable materials in high yield and purity from crystalline silicon photovoltaics with green chemistry. It has a high recovery rate efficiency of 90 to 95%, and materials reclaimed include silver, aluminium, copper, silicon and glass that can be used for other applications.
Solarising our communities
In 2021, we partnered with Grab Singapore to install 182 solar panels on the rooftop of SATA CommHealth Headquarters. The solar panel system powers 10% of the building’s energy requirements annually, contributing to SATA CommHealth’s overall sustainability goals.
Partnership with Grab Singapore
Sata CommHealth is the first beneficiary under Grab's programme to help non-profit organisations reduce their carbon footprint by tapping the sun, with the solar panels installed by Sembcorp Industries.
Designing sustainable projects with our integrated solutions
In 2022, we designed a sustainable greenhouse at Republic Polytechnic to enhance farm productivity and development in support of Singapore’s food resilience and sustainability drive. Our sustainable solutions help to enable greater conservation of resources as part of this smart farming project. The Building-integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) system not only generates energy but serves as the glasshouse roof to allows optimal sunlight through; while the container rooftop was solarised with conventional PV modules to maximise real estate use. Our energy storage system stores excess energy to power the lighting system on demand round the clock, and our water treatment system recycles hydroponic waste.
The Greenhouse at Republic Polytechnic
This new agritech facility houses advanced agricultural solutions that enhance farm productivity and development in support of Singapore’s food resilience and sustainability drive. The Greenhouse is both a teaching and research facility, dedicated to growing plants in naturally ventilated as well as climate-controlled conditions.
In 2021, we opened the Sembcorp Cool House, a temperature-controlled glasshouse situated inside the National Orchid Garden which simulates the habitats of high elevation montane forests. Besides enabling the conservation of the orchids threatened by climate change, the cool house is designed with sustainable features such as efficient cooling using thermal stratification and low emissivity glass to keep the heat out. The BIPV system also generates electricity to offset cooling energy needs that avoids close to 80 tonnes of carbon emission per year, equivalent to about 1,300 seedlings grown over 10 years.
The Sembcorp Cool House
Through our contribution, we expanded the glasshouse to four times its original size and upgraded it with advanced cooling and climate control systems for energy efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, we installed solar PV panels that offset electrical use, as well as spectrally selective glass that reduce the amount of cooling required while optimising the amount of sunlight being let in.