Summary Reader Response Draft #3

 As mentioned by Kok, (2021) in the article, “Go-Ahead Singapore carries out 6-months trial of public buses with solar panels”, the first public buses fitted with ultra-thin solar panels started plying the roads, in a six-month proof-of-concept trial by bus operators by Go-Ahead Singapore to charge their batteries instead of depending on an alternator. The panels, which weigh less than 20 kg, are slender and produce 1,000 watts of power. These are predicted to save 1,400 liters of fuel yearly, cutting 3.7 tonnes of carbon emissions. 

Kok mentioned that these figures are based on data from a similar trial that Go-Ahead has been conducting since 2019 in Southampton in the United Kingdom, where there are currently 18 buses fitted with these solar panels. The six-month trial here aims to evaluate how the buses perform in Singapore, how effective the panels are in harnessing solar energy and reducing fuel consumption and to ensure that the panels are robust enough to withstand the higher temperatures and the daily washing of the buses. Given Singapore's sunny and tropical climate, buses equipped with solar panels are expected to do even better here, said Go-Ahead Singapore managing director Andrew Thompson. Many of Singapore’s diesel buses have many years of useful life left in them. We can make diesel buses even greener and more efficient by installing solar panels.  

 

In my opinion, solar panel buses are a source of renewable energy which is an effort towards sustainability. It reduces fuel consumption, cost efficiency, and it also decreases carbon emissions. 

 

The first factor that solar panel has an advantage is that it reduces fuel consumption. A statement in the article ‘Solar panels for coach and bus: What are the benefits?’ (Tim, 2020), is that solar panels have cut costs on fuel by 1,500 liters per coach and reduced carbon emission by 7%. “It includes the ability to view ‘solar savings’ in terms of liters of diesel and tonnes of CO2. Stagecoach expects the Panoramas’ solar panels to reduce annual fuel use by 1,500 liters per coach. Flixbus claims that the panels fitted to the VDL FDD2 have cut consumption by 7%”. The article also addresses how battery life can be extended when using solar panels. While the most obvious benefit of vehicle-mounted solar panels is that they reduce diesel consumption and CO2 emissions, Mr. Thomas the managing director mentions that they also improve battery life.

Onboard systems continue to consume energy even when the engine is turned off. The battery quickly recharges after it is restarted, and the vehicle is driven. Instead, a solar panel provides a steady ‘Trickel Charge’. This method extends the life of the battery. Solar panels put on vehicles are not as efficient as those mounted on fixed sites. The latter has 22 percent efficiency compared to 19 percent for those in vehicles. Solar panel manufacturers, on the other hand, devote a large amount of money each year to enhance that statistic.

 The second factor is that it decreases both cost and carbon emission. As mentioned in the article according to ‘Buses Go Truly Zero Emission With Solar Power’ (Sustainia, 2019), solar panels do not need to be on buses. ‘In order to run electric buses on renewable energy and achieve 100% emission-free transport, Shanghai has set up the very first solar power project for a bus depot in the PRC. The 195-kW rooftop PV system is providing enough energy to recharge 6 buses at the same time, and the expected annual power generation is up to 20 MWh’ this article shows us that installing solar panels on interchanges and charging electric buses also helps reduce carbon emission and footprint. The technology also provides energy to the facility for other uses and even feeds electricity back into the grid. The solar panels, which cover approximately 2,000 square meters, have also increased the roof’s thermal insulation. Since 2013, the local bus business has operated 70 all-electric buses, offering residents clean, environmentally-friendly transportation. Each electric bus travels between 100 and 120 kilometers every day, burning between 220 and 230 kWh. The solar power system will not only help the environment, but it will also save money for the bus company by lowering electricity prices.

 Even though, Solar Panels reduce carbon emissions and footprint. The manufacturing of solar panels in the factory produces carbon emissions. As stated in the article, ‘How Clean Is the Solar Panel Manufacturing Process? How Much Carbon Dioxide Is Produced?’ (Gvec Solar Service) states that while manufacturing this solar panel there is definitely carbon emissions being produced but the amount is minimal compared to coal-powered electricity. For the solar panel to repay its carbon debt it will take 3 years to neutralize it. This is stated in the article, ‘Accounting for the amount of CO2 produced during solar panel manufacturing, solar panels generate, in effect, around 50g of CO2 per kilowatt-hour during their initial years of operation. This is about 20 times less than the carbon output of coal-powered electricity sources. Your panels will require about three years of operation to pay off their carbon debt and become carbon neutral’

The article also mentions that solar panels often last more than two decades, which means a significant amount of carbon is kept out of the atmosphere.

It is vital to keep in mind that solar panel design is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Engineers and manufacturers are constantly working to increase the efficiency and lifespan of panels. Furthermore, as renewable energy becomes more prevalent, the manufacturing process will get cleaner, hopefully leading to a future when solar panel manufacture produces no carbon.

 In conclusion, the advantages far exceed the disadvantages. Therefore, the buses are not being totally replaced with electric or solar-powered vehicles, but they are being retrofitted to harness solar electricity for battery charging.


References:


Yufeng, K. (2021, March 30). ‘Go-ahead Singapore rolls out 6-month trial of public buses with soalr panels’. The Straits Time. Retrieved on February 10 2022

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/first-public-buses-with-solar-panels-hit-the-road-in-six-month-trial-by-go-ahead


Tim Deakin. (2020, December 11). ‘Solar Panels for Coach and bus: What are the benefits?’. Route ONE. Retrieved on February 15 2022

https://www.route-one.net/environment/solar-panels-for-coach-and-bus-what-are-the-benefits/


Sustainia. (2019, March 19). ‘Buses Go Truly Zero Emission With Solar Power’. Global Opportunity Explorer. Retrieved on February 15 2022

https://goexplorer.org/buses-go-truly-zero-emission-with-solar-power/

 

‘How clean Is The Solar Panel Manufacturing Process? How Much Carbon Dioxide Is Produced?’ gvec Solar Services. Retrieved on February 15 2022

https://gvecsolarservice.com/how-clean-is-the-solar-panel-manufacturing-process-how-much-carbon-dioxide-is-produced/#:~:text=Accounting%20for%20the%20amount%20of,of%20coal%2Dpowered%20electricity%20sources.

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