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

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