Summary reader response Draft #2

    Kok's article "Go-Ahead Singapore rolls out 6-month trial of public buses with solar panels" (2021) informs the public about the implementation of a project done by Go-Ahead, a bus operator in Singapore. In order to utilise solar energy to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emission, Go-Ahead has installed "1.6mm thick, flexible, and shatterproof" solar panels on two diesel-powered buses in Singapore, over a 6-month trial period.  Kok reported that the two combined solar panels generate up to 1,000 watts of energy to charge the buses' batteries, thereby reducing the batteries' reliance on the alternator. This lessens the strain on the buses' engines, saving 1,400 litres of diesel, and reducing 3,700 tonnes of carbon emissions, per bus, annually. These figures are extrapolated from data in the United Kingdom, but the project is expected to do better here—given Singapore’ sunny climate. Kok stated that Go-Ahead used lightweight panels (i.e total of 20kg), which is "three times thinner as compared to conventional ones". Partnering with the Land Transport Authority, the buses have undergone safety assessments and are approved for public road trials. Evaluation regarding the panels’ ability to withstand high temperatures and daily washing would also be tested. From the expenses saved due to fuel reduction, Go-Ahead expects to recuperate the costs of the trial within four years. If successful, more solar panels may be installed on Singapore buses. With fossil fuel running low and global warming on the rise, Go-Ahead Singapore is looking at new ways to replace the use of fuel on buses. Solar panels should replace fuel for energy in buses, due to their abilities in energy generation, cost reduction, as well as their eco-friendliness. 

    Firstly, pertaining to the generation of energy, most of the fossil fuel sources now are limited, and would run out due to the increased demands (Kumar, 2020). Renewable energy such as that from the sun is used to reduce the dependence on fossil energy and to increase energy efficiency (Rehman et al., 2022). This is especially good if the geographic locations are suitable. For instance, Indonesia is a country that consists of many tropical regions, that is frequently exposed to sunlight throughout the year (Lorensia et al., 2020; Wijoyo & Prihatiningtyas, 2019). Similarly, Singapore is located "70 miles from the Equator” and is a country with "among the world's highest ultraviolet index score" (Nyiri, 2005). This signals that Singapore is also frequently exposed to sunlight, and we can take advantage of solar energy to generate electrical energy. Furthermore, recent improvements in the manufacturing of solar cells allow solar panels to provide high quality, efficient, and uninterruptible energy—to meet the increased demands of energy (Choifin et al., 2021).  

    Secondly, regarding costs, oil is the most frequently used fuel to generate electricity because it is easily accessible and easily stored (Stephen, 2005). However, due to the overconsumption of oil to produce energy, it has become scarce (Kirsch, 2020), and its prices are now highly inflated (Sek et al., 2015). In comparison, renewable energy such as solar and wind power are unlimited and are cheaper per unit energy as compared to crude oil (Kåberger, 2018). Hence, replacing oil with renewable energy is a more cost-efficient alternative in the long run. Notedly, solar panels are required to convert solar power to electrical energy for utility. Although solar panels used to be rather costly, progress has been made such that the production of solar panels is now cheaper (Bilgen, 2000).  

    Thirdly, solar panels are more eco-friendly. Regular buses require the burning of fossil fuel for combustion--this generates high carbon emissions and air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (Bertrand, 2021). This causes adverse changes in the climate and may lead to consequences such as wildfires and floods (Bell et al., 2017). As of now, transportation is heavily responsible for air pollution associated with combustion (Erikson & Jennings,, 2017). Replacing diesel-powered buses with solar-powered ones, to generate electricity, would mitigate these emissions, and increase air quality in the environment. As of now, many cities in Sweden, China, and California are starting to implement solar-powered buses (Erikson et al., 2017). The long-term effects of many countries endorsing the use of solar panels would ultimately aid in reducing global warming and rising sea levels Giannadaki et al., 2016).  

    However, a major concern regarding electric buses is that energy savings may be inefficient. This is because large battery packs are required to store adequate energy for a certain driving range (Xue & Gwee, 2017). In general, around 35% of the total mass of the bus is the battery alone. In order to travel long distances, big buses would require larger battery packs, which would increase the weight of the buses (Muttana, 2017). This would cause the power-to-weight ratio to be inefficient, thereby compromising on the buses’ energy savings. However, there are weight-reduction efforts in the designs of buses recently, such as by substituting buses' bodies with aluminum rather than steel. Hence, there is good potential to develop fully integrated solar-electric buses because we know that implementations such as using lighter-weight buses enhance the energy efficiency generated by solar panels (Muttana, 2017).  

    In conclusion, there is evidence that solar panels are efficient in terms of energy conversion. Moreover, solar panels draw from a source of renewable energy that is unlimited, making them both cost-efficient and affordable. Furthermore, utilising solar panels to generate electricity reduces the release of carbon emissions, which is eco-friendly and better for the environment. Notedly, one argument is that heavy battery packs needed to power the buses would reduce energy-saving efficiencies. However, there are methods to reduce the weight of buses to curb this issue and ensure an effective power-to-weight ratio. Therefore, solar panels have great potential for replacing fuel due to their capabilities.  

References

Bilgen E . (2000). Passive solar massive wall systems with fins attached on the heated wall and without glazing. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, 122(1), 30-34. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.556274  

Choifin, M., Rodli, A. F., Sari, A. K., Wahjoedi, T. & Aziz, A. (2021). A study of renewable energy and solar panel literature through biblometric positioning during three decades. Library Philosophy and Practice, 5749. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10615&context=libphilprac  

Erickson, L. E., & Jennings, M. (2017). Energy, transportation, air quality, climate change, health nexus: Sustainable energy is good for our health. AIMS Public Health, 4(1), 47–61. https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2017.1.47  

Kåberger, T. (2018). Progress of renewable electricity replacing fossil fuels. Global Energy Interconnection, 1(1), 48-52. https://doi.org/10.14171/j.2096-5117.gei.2018.01.006 

Kirsch, S. (2020). Running out? Rethinking resource depletion. The Extractive Industries and Society. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exis.2020.06.002  

Kumar, M. (2020). Social, economic, and environmental impacts of renewable energy resources. In K. E. Okedu, A. Tahour, & A. G. Aissaou (Eds.), Wind solar hybrid renewable energy system. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89494  

Lorensia, A., Suryadinata, R. V., & Fitrianingsih, N. (2020). Knowledge of sunlight exposure toward obesity in geriatric. Farmasains: Jurnal Farmasi Dan Ilmu Kesehatan, 5(1), 13-22. https://doi.org/10.22219/farmasains.v5i1.11454 

Muttana, S. B., Dey, R. K., & Sardar, A. (2017). Prospects of electric bus integrated with solar photovoltaic cells. SAE Technical Paper Series. https://doi.org/10.4271/2017-26-0109 

Nyiri, P. (2005). Sun protection in Singapore's schools. Singapore Medical Journal, 46(9), 471-475. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.597.2005&rep=rep1&type=pdf 

Rehman, S., Rehman, E., Mumtaz, A., & Jianglin, Z. (2022). A multicriteria decision-making approach in exploring the nexus between wind and solar energy generation, economic development, fossil fuel consumption, and CO2 emissions. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 9, 819384. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.819384  

Sek, S. K., Teo, X. Q., & Wong, Y. N. (2015). A comparative study on the effects of oil price changes on inflation. Procedia Economics and Finance, 26, 630–636. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(15)00800-x  

Stephen F. L. (2005). Fossil fuels in the 21st century. Ambio, 34(8), 621–627. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4315666 

Wijoyo, S., & Prihatiningtyas, W. (2019). Forest-fire-related environmental issues in Indonesia. Environmental Policy and Law, 49(3), 142–144. https://doi.org/10.3233/epl-190149 

Xue, F., & Gwee, E. (2017). Electric vehicle development in Singapore and technical considerations for charging infrastructure. Energy Procedia, 143, 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.12.640

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