According to the article “Go-Ahead Singapore rolls out 6-month trial of public buses with solar panels” (Kok, 2021) , a trial on two buses that had 1.6mm thick, pliable and toughened solar panels fitted on their rooftops was carried out. These panels, which weigh less than 20kg, are expected to save 1400 liters of diesel fuel per bus annually. This amounts to around 3-4% of the usual fuel consumption, which translates to carbon emissions being reduced by 3.7 tonnes per individual bus. T panels, which charge the battery on the buses, will take the load off the vehicle’s alternator, thus reducing strain on the engine. The trial aims to assess the performance of the solar panels as well as appraise their efficiency and tolerance. Kok also stated that Singapore’s sunny climate makes the usage of solar panels more viable. The managing director of Go-Ahead Singapore hopes to install them on more buses as it is a more environmentally-friendly way to increase the efficiency of diesel buses. The panels are ultra-thin and more lightweight as they are 3 times thinner than traditional solar panels. The panels have gone through meticulous safety assessments and weekly inspections in the first 2 months. According to Kok, Go-Ahead Singapore estimated that within 4 years, it will recover their initial costs from the savings made from reducing fuel consumption.
The installation of solar panels on public buses is a beneficial decision made by Go-Ahead Singapore as solar panels help to reduce bus fuel consumption and in turn help to save fuel cost and reduce carbon emission.
The first reason for the installation of solar panels being a beneficial decision is that solar panels help to reduce bus fuel consumption. Solar panels convert sunlight into electric energy, which will be used to charge the buses’ batteries. When a bus runs its motor on batteries charged with solar energy, it decreases the buses’ diesel usage. With Singapore’s tropical climate, the solar panels will be used to their utmost potential. According to Deakin(2020), coaches with solar panels installed are expected to save up to 1500 liters per coach yearly. This shows that reduction in bus fuel consumption truly exists with the implementation of solar panels.
The second reason for the installation of solar panels being a beneficial decision is that solar panels help to save the cost of fuel consumption. Solar panels reduce the use of diesel on each bus, making buses rely less on diesel which supplies energy to power the bus. This greatly decreases the amount of money spent on diesel. This reasoning was further explained by Deakin as he mentioned that the solar panels installed on the bus cut down fuel consumption by 7% per coach annually.
The last reason for the installation of solar panels being a beneficial decision is that solar panels help to reduce carbon emission. The reduction of diesel consumption is interconnected with the reduction of carbon emission. Diesel engines emit pollutants such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen. From which carbon dioxide is one of the components in carbon emission. With the installation of solar panels, buses will emit less carbon as buses are less reliant on diesel to operate its batteries. Statically, it is further explained by Seng (2021) as he mentioned that bus company Go-Ahead Singapore is expected to save 1400 liters of diesel with the use of solar panels, which is equivalent to a reduction of 3.7 tonnes of carbon emissions per bus yearly.
However, there are two issues with solar panels. Firstly, solar panels are limited to working on sunny days only not if it is raining or when there is no sunlight. According to the Weather and Climate website (n.d.), there is an average of 2030 sun hours per year. This is calculated to be around 85 days. Hence, there are more rainy days than sunny days in a year. The solar panel will only absorb 85 days worth of sunlight and convert it to electrical energy to power the motor of the bus. This makes solar panels a secondary option in operating the bus which is not ideal. Secondly, the cost of a custom-made high-quality solar panel is very expensive, and not all bus operators could afford to fit one on their bus. According to Brill and Pelchen (2021), the average cost of a solar panel is $16,000.00. This is a massive cost for small enterprises as they have limited allowance to operate their company.
In conclusion, solar panels only work on days with sunlight and the cost of solar panels will be a worrying factor for some bus operating companies. However, solar panels being installed on buses help to save fuel consumptions which results in saving fuel cost and reduces carbon emission.
Brill,
R. & Pelchen, L. (2022, February 25). How Much Do Solar Panels Costs? Forbes
Advisor. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/home-improvement/average-cost-of-solar-panels/
Deakin, T. (2020, December 11). Solar
panels for coach and bus: What are the benefits? ROUTEONE. https://www.route-one.net/environment/solar-panels-for-coach-and-bus-what-are-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/first-public-buses-with-solar-panels-hit-the-road-in-six-month-trial-by-go-ahead
Seng,
S. (2021, March 30). S’pore Buses With Solar Panels Debut on 30 Mar, Paving The
Way For Greener Public Transport. MustShareNews. https://mustsharenews.com/buses-solar-panels/
Weather
& Climate, (n.d.). Average monthly hours of sunshine in Singapore. https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-hours-Sunshine,Singapore,Singapore
Thanks very much for the rewrite, Yen Teing.
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