The SATS headquarters at Singapore Changi Airport (SCA) has a high electricity demand for its operations. To reduce energy costs, a solar lease has been recommended to SATS. This arrangement would allow the installation of a solar PV system without any upfront costs, making solar energy an appealing option due to its immediate impact on lowering electricity bills. Additionally, solar energy is an environmentally friendly source that requires minimal or no maintenance.

Under a solar lease financial model with Semcorp solar with Ditrolic being the EPCC, SATS agreed to make fixed lease payments based on the estimated electricity production of the system. In return, SATS benefits from cheaper electricity compared to the rates from their local provider.

With the system installed at Changi Airport, SATS enjoys solar-generated electricity at a 5% discount off their current electricity rate. Additionally, they contribute to environmental sustainability by offsetting at least 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. In the future, Changi can consider expanding the existing system by adding more solar panels to increase their solar electricity generation.

Since the installation was done on a membrane roof at the airport terminal, the gusts of wind created by airplane take-offs and landings require all mechanical and electrical equipment to be properly secured to meet industry insurance standards for indemnity. Our solar structure has undergone Boundary-layer wind tunnel tests (BLWT), which considered various scenarios and geometric scales to design appropriate safety measures and wind loads on the solar structure.