臺北產經資訊網

As global climate change intensifies, Taipei City faces significant challenges. Around 70% of its greenhouse gas emissions result from electricity use, and approximately 74% of total emissions come from the residential and commercial sectors. Achieving the target of net-zero emissions by 2050 hinges on energy transformation. Beyond energy conservation, the focus must shift towards generating and storing energy to ensure a self-sufficient power supply, lessen dependence on high-carbon energy, and foster the growth of a green and sustainable city.

Encouraging Public Participation through the Demonstration of Residential Community Energy Generation and Storage

The Department of Environmental Protection, Taipei City Government, promotes the use of self-generated green electricity in homes and communities. This approach not only decreases reliance on the municipal power grid but also enhances power distribution efficiency, reducing electricity costs and achieving optimal energy use.

In 2023, the Department of Environmental Protection launched the “Taipei City Residential Community Energy Generation, Storage, and Conservation Subsidy Program”. This initiative supports residential communities in installing energy generation and storage equipment to promote distributed generation. Subsidies are available to homeowners and legally registered community management committees in Taipei and, starting in 2024, non-profit organizations (associations or foundations). The program includes three categories: energy generation (covering renewable sources like solar and wind power, emerging technologies like hydrogen fuel cells, and other zero-carbon technologies, with power used for residential or community public areas and non-profit organizations); energy storage (linked to energy generation equipment, providing power for daily or emergency use); and energy conservation (installing energy management systems or chiller units for community and non-profit organization electricity use).

Under the subsidy program, each applicant or site is eligible for only one subsidy, covering up to 49% of the total construction costs. Communities or organizations can receive between 1 to 3 million NTD per project, depending on the specific subsidy plan, while residential applicants can receive up to 500,000 NTD per project.

In 2023, the subsidy program supported 4,111 projects, estimated to save 2,768,544 kWh of electricity and reduce carbon emissions by 1,370.43 tons annually. For instance, the Cuihengcun Mingxia Community in Xinyi District received subsidies to install solar and wind power systems, along with energy storage batteries and a management system to power public areas. This setup generates about 20,000 kWh per year, which is expected to save over 90,000 NTD in electricity costs and reduce carbon emissions by around 13 tons. The Zhoumei Community Apartment Complex, the largest beneficiary, installed flexible solar panels on 11 buildings. These panels are lighter and can be fixed without drilling into the building structure. With added storage batteries, they generate over 68,000 kWh annually, saving more than 300,000 NTD in electricity costs and reducing emissions by about 34 tons. In addition, the community management office uses a monitoring system to monitor the solar panels and storage units, detecting issues in real-time. The subsidies, covering part of the installation costs, not only lower public electricity costs but also increase residents' willingness to install such systems.

Overall, through the installation of energy storage devices and the integration of energy management systems, these two communities have successfully reduced electricity costs, reduced carbon emissions, and improved the management of public electricity usage. Consequently, they have become exemplary green and sustainable communities in Taipei.

Initiating Energy Transformation through Diverse Sites Generating Electricity

Recently, the Department of Environmental Protection, Taipei City Government, has been actively promoting distributed generation. Flexible solar panels, only 0.3 cm thick, are lightweight, bendable, and easy to install. Various applications of energy generation and storage are already in use in public spaces, such as Shanshuilu Eco Park, the country's first solar photovoltaic system on an elevated highway noise barrier, temples, and low-carbon green energy mobile toilets. These examples showcase the versatile feasibility of installing and utilizing solar photovoltaic systems.

■Shanshuilu Eco Park

The Department of Environmental Protection has established demonstration sites to educate the public on energy generation and storage concepts. After undergoing greening, the Shanzhuku Landfill in Nangang District was converted into Shanshuilu Eco Park. This site features “hydrogen fuel cells”, “solar energy”, “energy storage systems”, “energy management systems”, and “wind power generation” to create a demonstration area for “energy generation and storage”. It opened to the public in March 2023.

The park includes the Shanshuilu Environmental Cabin, which houses over 10 lights, a TV, other appliances, and energy storage equipment. Solar panels are installed on the roof, and the exterior features hydrogen fuel cells and a wind power system. The site's electricity is primarily supplied by solar power, with wind power as a supplement, producing an average of 43 kWh per day. The energy storage system can hold 24.9 kWh, sufficient for about three days of regular use. In the event of insufficient sunlight and depleted storage, hydrogen fuel cells will activate to supply power, generating an average of 120 kWh per day, ensuring energy self-sufficiency and fulfilling both power generation and storage requirements.

■Elevated highway noise barrier with a solar photovoltaic system

A garbage collection point under the Jianguo Elevated Highway in Taipei, managed by the Ruian Squad, was experiencing intensified odors due to the large amount of garbage and hot weather, affecting the work environment. In June 2023, in collaboration with the Public Works Department's New Construction Office, 128 flexible solar panels were installed on the noise barrier of the Jianguo Elevated Highway. These panels, only 0.3 cm thick and weighing about 420 grams each, have a capacity of 3.8 kWh. After the assessment, the facility was found to be waterproof, scratch-resistant, and safe without compromising the noise barrier's effectiveness. It powers air conditioners, variable frequency fans, microwave-sensing lamps, and other equipment for the Ruian Squad. Heat exchangers and convection are also utilized to lower the temperature of the outdoor workspace, promote green energy and energy conservation, and improve the quality of the work environment for the cleaning squad.

This solar power system generates about 3-4 kWh per hour on average, totaling around 3,600 kWh annually, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions by about 1.8 tons. It combines an energy storage system with the municipal power supply to optimize power distribution.

■Qu Yuan Temple’s solar energy storage as a demonstration

Qu Yuan Temple in Beitou District, which has a history of nearly 50 years, attracts many worshippers and uses a significant amount of electricity for indoor lighting and festivals, leading to high electricity costs. In June 2023, the Beitou District Zhumei Village Office, the temple's management committee, and private companies collaborated to install 4.8-kWh solar panels on the temple's dragon boat house and a 15-kW energy storage system. This setup allows the temple to generate its own electricity, reducing reliance on the municipal power grid, making it Taipei's first temple with an energy generation and storage system. Currently, the temple uses solar panels to meet its electricity needs, is unaffected by weather, and effectively absorbs any light source, thereby reducing electricity costs. The system is planned to expand to 8-kWh in the future, with an estimated annual reduction of 24 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

■Low-carbon green energy mobile toilet vehicle

Traditional mobile toilets require diesel or gasoline generators for electricity when parked, causing noise and odors. In October 2023, the Department of Environmental Protection launched the country's first low-carbon green energy mobile toilet vehicle. Measuring 8 meters in length, 2.5 meters in width, and 4 meters in height, it includes three squat toilets for women, one for men, and three urinals, accommodating about 2,000 users per day. The roof is equipped with 156 flexible solar panels, which are lightweight and non-reflective, generating 3.84 kWh per hour. This setup ensures complete self-sufficiency in electricity, allowing the vehicle to harness solar energy both in transit and when stationary, with energy generation and storage functions.

The green energy mobile toilet vehicle is expected to generate 3,600 kWh of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by around 1.8 tons. In addition to solar panels producing green electricity, it has a 5-kW lithium iron phosphate battery that can supply power for 6 hours even without sunlight. This battery can support other mobile toilet vehicles and serve as a mobile power station, offering phone charging and other electrical needs. In the future, this green energy mobile toilet vehicle will be available for rent at large events, promoting its usage further.

Taipei City has traditionally promoted energy generation, storage, and saving, mainly in residential and commercial buildings. Now, these initiatives have extended to transportation vehicles, reducing carbon emissions and noise, and preventing pollution from idling vehicles generating power. This diversification of energy generation sites in Taipei provides a model for other areas to observe and learn from.

Accelerating Residential and Commercial Deep Carbon Reduction through Micro Carbon Credit Projects

Given the domestic greenhouse gas emission sources and the small scale of the current state of offset projects, the “Regulations for Greenhouse Gas Offset Project Management” were amended in December 2018 to adopt the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) approach and a category for micro-scale offset projects was introduced. These projects are defined by having a total renewable energy capacity below 5,000 kW, annual electricity savings under 20 million kWh, or annual greenhouse gas emission reductions below 20,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e). This change simplifies the carbon credit review process, encouraging participation from small and medium-sized enterprises and other entities with small emission sources, aiming to boost carbon reduction efforts across all sectors. To further incentivize companies to carry out reduction measures, the Regulations for Greenhouse Gas Voluntary Reduction Project Management were introduced in October 2023. Companies can apply for the “new voluntary reduction project mechanism” to quantify their reduction achievements and convert them into funding for development measures.

Taipei City aims to promote voluntary carbon reduction among local businesses to obtain carbon credits, increase carbon reduction incentives, and accelerate deep carbon reduction in residential and commercial areas. As part of this effort, in 2020, the city assisted Taipei 101 in upgrading its underground parking lot lighting to high-efficiency LED fixtures. This initiative marked the first micro-scale offset project application in the country’s residential and commercial sectors. The Taipei 101 parking lot, from floors B2 to B5, previously used 2,841 traditional T5 4-foot lights. Due to the building's mixed commercial and office nature, except for parking spaces and some lanes, 60% of the space required continuous 24-hour lighting without dimmers or automatic controls, leading to high electricity consumption. Through the “Taipei 101 Parking Lot High-Efficiency Lighting” Project, Taipei Financial Center Corporation applied for a micro-scale offset project, projecting an annual reduction of 510,000 kWh in electricity use and obtaining around 2,718 metric tons of carbon credits over ten years. Both the city government and the corporation shared these credits equally (50% each), showcasing successful public-private cooperation in carbon reduction. Additionally, a public survey showed broad support for Taipei 101's offset project, indicating its effectiveness in demonstrating energy-saving and carbon-reduction practices, thus enhancing local environmental quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Besides office buildings, in 2021, the Department of Environmental Protection helped Carrefour Chong Qing Store apply for a “micro-scale offset project with high-efficiency magnetic levitation chiller units”. The store originally used two old 500 RT-Trane centrifugal chillers, operating alternately to supply air conditioning and maintain operations. Upon reviewing the efficiency of the cooling equipment, one old unit was replaced with Kuen Ling’s 400 RT high-efficiency magnetic levitation centrifugal variable frequency chiller, with an efficiency of 0.576 kW/RT, enhancing energy efficiency by about 25.4%. Environmental assessments confirmed that the new chiller, installed at the original place of the old unit, avoids new emissions or impacts from wastewater. This upgrade has improved system stability and energy efficiency and reduced electricity use and greenhouse gas emissions, saving 343,000 kWh annually. This became the country's first registered micro-scale offset project in a large retail store, obtaining about 1,310 metric tons of carbon credits over ten years. Taipei City plans to use these carbon credits for international events and meetings, like zero-carbon or carbon-neutral conferences, or as environmental impact assessment offsets for city development projects.

Taipei City Government has been dedicated to fostering a green and sustainable urban environment, actively driving initiatives like energy conservation, energy storage, and renewable energy through collaborations between the public and private sectors. Achievements to date include enhancing energy efficiency, implementing innovative energy solutions, and promoting the city's shift towards a low-carbon future. Moving forward, Taipei City plans to expand its energy generation infrastructure and encourage greater participation from private enterprises to fulfill their social responsibilities and generate carbon credits. Together, these efforts aim to achieve Taipei City's net-zero emissions goal and create a more livable environment.