Summary Reader Response Draft #3
Kok's article "Go-Ahead
Singapore rolls out 6-month trial of public buses with solar panels (SPs)"
(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" SPs on two diesel-powered buses in
Singapore, over a 6-month trial period. Kok reported that
the two combined SPs 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 SPs
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. SPs should replace fuel for energy in buses,
due to their abilities in energy generation, cost reduction, as well as their
eco-friendliness.
Pertaining to the generation
of energy, most of the fossil fuel sources are limited and are bound to run
out (Kumar, 2020). Renewable energy such as that from the sun is able to
generate energy efficiently and can reduce vehicles’ dependence on fossil
fuels (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 exposed to frequent sunlight as it is located "70 miles from the
Equator" (Nyiri,
2005). Hence,
we can take advantage of solar energy to generate electrical energy. With recent
improvements in the manufacturing of solar cells, SPs can provide even more
efficient and uninterruptible energy now (Choifin et al., 2021).
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). Although SPs used to be
rather costly, technological progress has enabled the production of SPs to be
cheaper (Bilgen, 2000). Hence, replacing oil with renewable energy is a more
cost-efficient alternative in the long run.
Moreover, regular buses require the burning of
fossil fuel for combustion—this generates high carbon emissions and air
pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (Bertrand, 2021), causing adverse
consequences such as wildfires and floods (Bell et al., 2017). Currently,
transportation is heavily responsible for air pollution, due to combustion
processes (Erikson & Jennings, 2017). Replacing diesel-powered buses with
solar-powered ones 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 SPs would ultimately aid in
reducing global warming and rising sea levels (Giannadaki et al., 2016).
However, a major concern
regarding electric buses is that 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,
such as by substituting buses' bodies with aluminium rather than steel (Muttana,
2017). Hence, there is good potential to develop fully integrated
solar-electric buses because tweaks such as using lighter-weight materials
enhance SPs’ energy efficiencies.
In conclusion, SPs are
efficient in terms of energy conversion, especially in Singapore with its sunny
climate. SPs are also cost-efficient as they draw from a source of renewable
energy, Furthermore, SPs are more eco-friendly as they emit lesser air
pollutants. Notedly, one obstacle that reduces SPs’ energy-saving efficiencies
is the necessity of heavy battery packs to power the buses. However, there are
methods to reduce the weight of buses, to ensure an effective power-to-weight
ratio. Therefore, SPs 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
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
Kirsch, S. (2020). Running
out? Rethinking resource depletion. The Extractive Industries and Society. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exis.2020.06.002
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
Comments
Post a Comment