Singapore has set a new target of 4 GWp of solar capacity by 2035, raising its ambition for one of the most land-constrained solar markets in the world, pv magazine reports. The target was announced at the Asia Clean Energy Summit 2026 by Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and for Energy, Trade and Industry.
"We have just raised our ambition to 4 GWp by 2035," she said.
From 3 GWp to 4 GWp
The new 2035 goal builds on the 2030 target, which was raised to 3 GWp in March 2026. Singapore had about 2.3 GW of solar installed as of October 2026. The country added 504 MW in 2025, bringing its total to 2,093 MW at the end of that year.
According to estimates from the Energy Market Authority (EMA), rooftop systems make up more than 80% of the country's solar capacity. The largest ground-mounted plant is the 118 MW Sembcorp Jurong Island Solar Farm, unveiled in 2025.
Limits of a small island
Even with the higher target, solar is expected to meet at most 10% of Singapore's electricity needs in 2050. With little open land, the country has to use rooftops, facades and other built surfaces to add capacity.
To support the new target, the government announced a series of measures. EMA will run a tender to aggregate solar demand across government agencies for public premises, including solar carports and building-integrated PV. EMA and the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore are building a portal to help homeowners adopt solar and find installers.
JTC, the industrial landlord, is piloting an overhang solar canopy at Woodlands East Industrial Estate with EDP APAC. It has also launched two innovation challenges, one for facade-mounted PV and one for containerised solar paired with mobile batteries to replace diesel generators at temporary worksites. The government is also exploring a pilot of solar roof tiles on heritage state buildings with the Singapore Land Authority and the Swiss research centre CSEM.
Storage and imports
Singapore has about 350 MWh of energy storage today and aims for just over 1 GWh by 2030. Because domestic solar can only meet a small share of demand, the country is also relying on clean power imports. EMA has given Sembcorp Utilities conditional approval to import 1.3 GW of electricity from or through Peninsular Malaysia.
What it means
For the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore shows how a dense city-state can keep expanding solar when land is scarce: by using every available roof, public building and industrial site, and by testing new formats such as facade PV and solar canopies. For suppliers, the focus on building-integrated and rooftop systems creates demand for specialised products and installation services. For the wider region, Singapore's import plans add momentum to cross-border clean power trade in Southeast Asia.
Source: pv magazine.
