Kusu Island fully powered by solar energy, with Pulau Hantu to follow suit

Kusu Island, home to the popular Da Bo Gong Temple and three Malay keramat, is now completely selfreliant in using solar power to produce its own water and electricity, setting a precedent for other southern islands like Pulau Hantu.

- Lynda Hong

The island's solar photovoltaic (PV) and desalination systems became operational in the fourth quarter of 2022, in time for the island's annual pilgrimage season, and could even support the surge in demand when a record 22,523 visitors went there in October 2023.

As backup, batteries housed in two 40-foot containers can store enough power to last two days in the event that the solar panels cannot produce electricity because of issues such as cloud cover or rain.

Kusu Island - meaning Tortoise Island is managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), and is the site of the annual Kusu pilgrimage season, when thousands of devotees visit the temple and keramat, or shrines. There are no permanent residents on the island.

Covering an area of 780 sq m or about the size of two basketball courts, the solar panels have a power output of 140 kilowatt peak (kWp) or 230 megawatt-hours (MWh) - enough to power 52 four-room HDB flats annually. The electricity is used in common facilities such as toilets and shower areas, as well as a food center that is open only during the pilgrimage season.