IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2017 - 75

An electrification project
for affordable access to
electricity with optimal
asset management.

LECTRIFICATION IS THE CORNERSTONE OF MODern civilization. Humans have been investing in
electrification for more than 140 years, since
Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. With economic growth and technology development, most
of the world (in developed countries) is supplied with reliable
electrical power. But there are still nearly 1.3 billion people, most
of them in developing Asia and Africa, who have no access to
electricity. But with the quality of life improving for most, the
need to protect the environment is becoming more important,
and the demand for clean energy is increasing.
Most countries have already set plans for greenhouse gas
emissions reduction. By replacing fossil fuel generators with
renewable resources, carbon emissions can be reduced. However,
this also poses new challenges for current power networks.
Although we have made great progress in information technology, materials, manufacturing, and control theory, massive social
resources will be consumed if large-scale modification of the
power network is made. Therefore, offering affordable, reliable,
and clean electrical power is the new target.
The microgrid is an outstanding advance in electrification. It
represents entities (consumers, generators, and operators) to provide a set of services in a coordinated manner. Its services include
optimizing energy utilization, improving energy efficiency, providing ancillary services, aggregating customers for market participation, and improving reliability. It is believed that microgrids
have huge potential in applications in areas such as rural electrification, islands, hospitals, army bases, and commercial buildings.
The United States, Europe, China, and Japan are all engaged in
microgrid development.
Singapore has also set up a microgrid development plan by
investigating the domestic requirements and the international
commercial market. The Energy Research Institute ERIAN at the
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has been commissioned
by the Singapore government to develop the Eco Campus and
Renewable Energy Integration Demonstrator-Singapore (REIDS)
initiatives to research new and renewable energy integration and
microgrid development. As one of most important partners, the
General Electric (GE) Company is actively collaborating with ERIAN
to lead the flagship project, Power Mix Management (PMM), to
develop a microgrid energy management system (EMS) that
enables optimal operation of the microgrid.

The electricity Strategy in Singapore
In 2007, the government of Singapore recognized the clean energy industry as an area of strategic growth for the country's economy. This sector was estimated to contribute SG$1.7 billion to
Singapore's gross domestic product and offered 7,000 jobs. The
Singapore government has also pledged to unconditionally cut
its greenhouse gas emissions by 7-11% below the expected 2020
level. Renewable energy is believed to be an effective and sustainable way to pursue this decarbonization target. More than 7%
of Singapore's forecast electricity demand in 2025 will be

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MELE.2017.2685978
Date of publication: 31 May 2017

IEEE Electrific ation Magazine / j une 2 0 1 7

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2017