ASSIGNMENT 2: SUMMARY & READER'S RESPONSE (Final Draft #4)

 The article "Go-Ahead Singapore rolls out 6 month trial of public buses with solar panels" (Kok, 2021) explains the objective of implementation, test period and plan of action. The six-month trial began in march with the installation of versatile solar panels on the “roof of two Man A22 Euro 6 diesel-powered buses”. The panels produce energy that charges the battery on the buses which is generally used for ignition and supplying power. Thus, this would lower the engine load which previously depended solely on the vehicle’s alternator. With LTA’s cooperation, these two buses have been approved to be driven on the roads of Singapore. Go-Ahead Singapore aims to “save 1400 litres of diesel and a reduction of 3.7 tonnes of carbon emissions per bus per year” deriving on figures from a corresponding trial in the United Kingdom.” Similarly, Go-Ahead Singapore predicts that the expenditure incurred during this trial period would be recuperated in four years. Notedly, the buses’ performance in Singapore would also be assessed, based on the panels’ effectiveness and toughness. A schedule for inspection would then be created, and these buses would continue to be inspected and monitored accordingly. If they exceed expectations, more diesel and electric buses would likely implement the usage of solar panels to be more “green and efficient”. With fossil fuels running low and global warming becoming more evident, it is Go-Ahead Singapore's mission to reduce vehicles’ dependency on fossil fuels. Solar panels are a great choice due to its capability of generating clean energy, reducing overall cost, and increasing the ease of implementation to current available vehicles.

 

Firstly, solar panels have the capability of generating clean energy. Solar-powered vehicles have electric motors, which burn little to no fuel, in comparison to fuel-dependent vehicles (Verdú et al., 2013). This in turn reduces the emission of gases to the atmosphere. According to the article "Solar panels for coach and bus: What are the benefits?" (Deakin, 2020), Flixbus claims that "the panels fitted to the VDL FDD2 (Bus) have cut consumption of fuel by 7% which is rather notable in terms of carbon dioxide emissions”. These statistics provide further emphasizes on the huge impact on how implementing solar panels can bring about reducing fuel consumption.

 

Regarding cost reduction, solar energy is a renewable source, as compared to limited depleting sources such as fossil fuel. This is one of the reasons why oil prices are rapidly growing with unpredictable fluctuations (Kyritsis & Serletis, 2019). Therefore, it is natural to wonder about the possibility of using solar energy for automotive applications to cut costs. Notably, there is a remarkable increase in efficiency of using photovoltaic cell technology; this can further reduce vehicles’ dependency on fossil fuels, along with the associated costs. Referring to "Electric buses for mass transit Seen as cost effective" (Maloney, 2019), while base costs of electric buses are still more expensive than fuel-dependent buses, they are cost saving over the long run. The statistics show that after a period of five years, the maintenance costs for electric buses will be outstandingly lower than fuel consumption costs. This method of cost reduction would increase the viability while potentially increasing the usage of electric buses in Singapore.

 

The usage of solar panels helps to increase the efficiency of energy usage in vehicles. According to research, incorporating solar panels onto a hybrid electrical vehicle makes the system completely independent from the electrical grid (Weber, 2021). A common problem faced by these vehicles is the inconvenience of recharging the car’s battery. Electrical vehicles embedded with PV(Photovoltaic) systems can store the converted solar energy in batteries which cuts out the need for remote charging. This system will be able to convert enough energy to cover an average of more than 70% of the vehicle’s annual mileage (Weber, 2021). This is due to a reduction in electrical losses, which translates to up to an increase of up to 3% in power output. Overall, this allows vehicles to utilize two to three times less energy as compared to traditional electrical vehicles, therefore making them more efficient.

 

The limitation of solar panels is that it needs the vehicle to be stationary during the sun phase to be fully effective. The research on maximized solar collection while the PV panel is stationary or mobile (Rizzo, 2000) shows the overall effectiveness of the solar Panel. Rizzo mentioned in great detail that ”the estimation of the incoming solar energy in next parking phase produces a more efficient energy management, with reduction in fuel consumption, particularly at higher insulation'' then further implying that the usage of solar panels on vehicles will only be feasible for parking phases where the vehicles are stationary. This is something to consider because Singapore has limited spaces to park, and consists of sheltered multi-level carparks and bus interchanges. Hence, this might significantly lower the efficiency for solar buses and solar vehicles in general, and must be carefully studied in the future.

 

In conclusion, the choice of implementing solar panels onto buses is still a great choice. It may not completely replace the need for fossil fuels, however, it will reduce both fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Following the advancement of photovoltaic technology, the efficiency of solar panels will be increased. With considerations on how to apply solar powered vehicles in Singapore, solar energy would be a suitable replacement in the future. 

 

References

DeakiDeakin, T. (2020, December 11). Solar panels for coach and bus: What are the benefits? Route One. https://www.route-one.net/environment/solar-panels-for-coach-and-bus-whatare-the-benefits/

Kok, Y. (2021, March 30). Go-Ahead Singapore rolls out 6-month trial of public buses with solar panels. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/firstpublic-buses-with-solar-panels-hit-the-road-in-six-month-trial-by-go-ahead

 Kyritsis, E., & Serletis, A. (2019). Oil Prices and the Renewable Energy Sector. The Energy Journal, 40(01). https://doi.org/10.5547/01956574.40.si1.ekyr

Maloney, P. (2019, October 17). Electric buses for mass transit seen as cost effective. American Public Power Association. https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/electricbuses-mass-transit-seen-cost-effective

Rizzo, G. (2010). Automotive applications of solar energy. IFAC Proceedings Volumes, 43(7), 174–185. https://doi.org/10.3182/20100712-3-de-2013.00199

Verdú, S. V., Blanes, C. S., & Sánchez, D. L. (2013). Feasibility of recharging electric vehicles with photovoltaic solar panels. Energy Science and Technology, 6(2), 24–30. https://doi.org/10.3968/j.est.1923847920130602.2344

Weber, A. (2021, May 2). Automakers are developing solar-powered vehicles. Assembly. https://www.assemblymag.com/articles/96333-automakers-are-developing-solarpowered-vehicle