Summary Reader Response (Final)

 In the article "Go-Ahead Singapore (GAS) carries out a 6-month trial of public buses with solar panels," Kok (2021) describes a revolutionary method of incorporating solar energy into public transportation. According to Kok, GAS has installed ultra-thin solar panels which are ductile and durable on two of their diesel-powered buses. These solar panels have the capability to charge the vehicle’s battery which provides ignition and power to the bus when the engine is turned off. Additionally, according to the company’s ongoing experiment conducted in the UK since 2019, this method reduces “3.7 tonnes of carbon emissions per bus” and saves "1,400 gallons of diesel" per year. These buses will be subjected to stringent safety inspections and will be examined weekly for the first two months of the trial. Kok concludes that the implementation of solar panels onto the roofs of public transportation buses may provide a clean and green environment for the society and expects a breakeven of the trial in 4 years through savings from reduced gasoline used.

I believe the introduction of solar panel buses by GAS should be a success since the use of solar panels on buses is considered as a cost-effective and stable alternative energy source. Moreover, using solar panel buses would also reduce carbon emissions and tackle global warming, which will would bring tremendous benefits to Singapore.

One of the key benefits of using solar energy is its low cost. Due to its low cost, solar energy generation is gaining popularity around the world. The solar business will continue to develop as the cost of solar energy falls further, according to research produced by a worldwide consultancy called Wood Mackenzie (Nhede, 2021). For instance, the cost of solar energy has fallen by 90% over the last 20 years, and it is predicted to drop by another 15% to 25% by 2030. According to the report, countries such as Spain, Italy and India have achieved the goal by having solar to be the cheapest source of new power. Nhede (2021) further stated that Wood Mackenzie projects that countries such as USA, as well as Canada and China are targeted to attain the same goal by 2030. As of today, global installations have contributed to saving up to 115GW in 2020, which is a step up from 1.5GW in 2006. Hence, the installing of solar panels on diesel buses will provide cost benefits for GAS.

Another benefit of solar energy is that it is the biggest free source of renewable energy, that is considered a sustainable and an unlimited supply. Tester et al. (2012) defines sustainable energy as, “a dynamic harmony between the equitable availability of energy-intensive goods and services to all people and preservation of the earth for future generations”. The constant demand of energy with increasing population in the world has led to continued “use of fossil fuel-based energy such as coal, oil and gas”, which has created challenges such as depletion of fossil fuel reserves, greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental concerns, geopolitical and military conflicts, and constant fuel price fluctuations (UNFCCC, 2015). Therefore, the endless supply of solar energy absorbed by the panels will be beneficial for GAS in running their buses.

Solar panels aid in the reduction of carbon emissions. Heavy vehicles such as buses and trucks in metropolitan areas have produced a significant amount of carbon emissions. These carbon emissions have led to both short and long-term consequences such as air pollution and climate change. Air pollution has been a major contributor to poor air quality in many nations. According to World Health Organisation (WHO, 2016), 98% of the cities with populations greater than 100,000 did not meet WHO criteria for the maximum production of air pollutants of 10 micrograms/cubic meter (μg/m3­) in the air (Brauer et al., 2015). For example, nitrogen oxide emissions are a major problem in London, UK as the regulation limit value of 40 μg/m3­ is not being fulfilled. In working towards zero-emissions, a policy of no needless idling has been implemented to minimise nitrogen oxide emission in central London (City of London, 2015). The long-term effects of CO2 emissions have led to climate change which has various negative implications such as rising temperatures, wildfires, and floods. As such, there is a need to reduce carbon footprints generated by introducing alternative sources of energy. Hence, the use of solar panels on buses will greatly reduce carbon emissions.

The use of solar panels in Singapore poses a challenge for GAS. According to Andrew-Speed (2021), the presence of heavy cloud cover, as well as continuous and urban shadow, impedes the use of solar panels by creating challenges such as intermittency. In addition, Singapore's high temperatures reduce solar cell performance. With all these considerations, the efficiency to generate maximum sunlight to power the buses will be considerably reduced, affecting the amount of money saved and diminishing the desire to continue the project. To address these difficulties, technical advancements in solar panels might be implemented.

To sum up, the use of solar panels in diesel buses is beneficial for GAS as an alternative source of energy despite a few setbacks. With the ability to draw limitless amounts of renewable energy, this becomes more affordable and, cost efficient and helps to reduce the amount of greenhouse emissions over time.

References

Air Quality - City of London. (2015). City of London https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/environmental-health/air-quality

Andrews-Speed, P. (2021). Commentary: Why hasn’t solar energy in Singapore taken off in a big way after so long? Channel News Asia. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/solar-energy-singapore-panels-cloudy-unpredictable-electricity-1882996

Brauer, M., Freedman, G., Frostad, J., van Donkelaar, A., Martin, R. V., Dentener, F., Dingenen, R. van, Estep, K., Amini, H., Apte, J. S., Balakrishnan, K., Barregard, L., Broday, D., Feigin, V., Ghosh, S., Hopke, P. K., Knibbs, L. D., Kokubo, Y., Liu, Y., & Ma, S. (2015). Ambient Air Pollution Exposure Estimation for the Global Burden of Disease 2013. Environmental Science & Technology, 50(1), 79–88. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b03709

India takes steps to curb air pollution. (2016). Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 94(7), 487–488. https://doi.org/10.2471/blt.16.020716

Nhede, N. (2021, February 3). Solar energy is now the most cost-effective way to add electricity. Smart Energy International. https://www.smart-energy.com/renewable-energy/solar-energy-is-now-the-most-cost-effective-way-to-add-electricity-wood-mackenzie/

Tester, J. W., Drake, E. M., Driscoll, M. J., Golay, M. W., & Peters, W. A. (2012). Sustainable energy: Choosing among options. Mit Press.

UNFCCC. (2015). Agenda item 4(b) Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (decision 1/CP.17) Adoption of a protocol, another legal instrument, or an agreed outcome with legal force under the Convention applicable to all Parties. Adoption of the Paris Agreement. http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/cop21/eng/l09.pdf

Kok, Y. F. (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