As of November 3rd (China Standard Time), the total number of CoVid-19 cases and deaths worldwide exceeded 47 million and 1.2 million respectively.  To fight the pandemic, countries around the world have begun adopting more thorough preventative measures. Among these measures, mobile hospitals have become increasingly prevalent.

Recently, the Singapore National Service Resort and Country Club (NSRCC) installed 85 kW pilot system at NSRCC Kranji with Sunman eArc lightweight solar panels. The system will help power temporary living quarters for migrant workers with the ability to be repurposed as a mobile hospital in the event of another public health crisis.

The Singaporean government plans to provide temporary housing for 60,000 migrant workers by the end of 2020. To alleviate the potential shortage of beds, the government adopted the same modular construction logic seen in the mobile hospital space. Each living residence can house 70 people and each hectare can accommodate up to 500-1000 people. These temporary residences will have certain sanitary measures in place to ensure good ventilation and disease prevention. Furthermore, workers will have access to on-site medical support.

To reduce grid reliance and provide energy security for the residence the NSSRCC wanted to install solar. However due to the low load bearing threshold of the NSRCC Kranji site, which fell below 15-20 kg/㎡, the roof could not handle the weight of conventional glass solar modules. Furthermore, the roof's surface could not be penetrated, rendering traditional solar installations unfeasible. To overcome these limitations, Sunman's technical team recommended eArc as the module solution for the project.

Sunman's glass-free eArc technology results in an ultra-light solar panel that weighs 60% less than glass counterparts, while maintaining the same durability and performance characteristics. In addition, the modules can be installed through “Quick-bonding”, a process that involves gluing the modules to the roof with a structural adhesive. By gluing the panels on the roof, eArc modules reduces installation time by over 50%, meeting the short construction timeline of many modular projects. Furthermore, quick-bonding does not involve penetrating the roof, making eArc also suited for many low load and waterproof membrane roofs.

At the writing of this article, Sunman's glass-free eArc modules have obtained over 20 certifications from renowned institutions such as the University of New South Wales, PV Magazine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fraunhofer, Gamcorp, VDE, CSA, JET and China Southern Airlines. Currently, eArc has been adopted in over 30 countries and the Sunman team has provided technical consultancy for eArc in over 100 slender rooftop solar projects internationally.