Possible off-peak electricity pricing among initiatives to be studied

SINGAPORE — Determining which are the off-peak periods for electricity consumption in households in order to offer lower pricing during these timings and finding the most cost-effective energy management solutions for public housing are some of the goals of a year-long feasibility study.

The study by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Panasonic will be used to determine whether a pilot energy scheme — which hopes to encourage residents to reduce and shift their energy usage — can be implemented across about 3,000 households in Yuhua.

The area in Jurong East is currently under the HDB’s Greenprint programme, which aims to encourage sustainable and eco-friendly living in public housing estates.

The HDB and EMA yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Panasonic at the World Cities Summit. Group director of HDB Building Research Institute, Dr Johnny Wong, told reporters: “What we are hoping is to, in a little way, nudge the residents to be more aware of their energy usage and, in turn, help them save energy and save (on) their energy bills.”

Last year, the HDB and Panasonic conducted a year-long Total Energy Solutions pilot involving 10 households in Punggol aimed at reducing energy consumption levels of households and achieving zero emissions for common facilities such as water pumps and lighting.

Dr Wong noted that results were encouraging, with monthly average energy consumption levels at these households falling by about 20 per cent. “That is the reason we are moving a step forward, to try out this test-bed now,” he said.

Among the initiatives being assessed in the study are time-of-use pricing schemes, a home energy management system and energy aggregation models. For instance, residents could be offered lower rates during off-peak hours under the time-of-use pricing scheme, providing incentives for them to shift their electricity consumption to off-peak periods and save more on electricity bills.

The feasibility study will determine the peak and off-peak periods of electricity usage among households. Energy aggregation models will offer residents alternative sources of electricity, with the option to use a combination of solar and grid electricity in their homes.

A Home Energy Management System (HEMS), which provides energy-usage data, will also be explored. Such a system allows residents to view and monitor their household energy usage with a mobile app and adjust their energy usage accordingly.

While HEMS had been tested by households in the Punggol pilot, Dr Wong said it was too early to determine the cost of adopting such a system. “Our wish, of course, is that the cost is low, but you have to balance it out with the savings you’re going to get with energy savings ... Once you get more energy savings, it balances off your initial capital costs,” he said.