Summary reader response draft 2

Draft Jin Han

According to the article “Go-Ahead Singapore rolls out 6-month trial of public buses with solar panels” by Kok (2021), two Man A22 Euro 6 diesel-powered buses owned by LTA fitted with solar panels would be going on trial in Singapore with approval from LTA and compliance to safety tests. With the support from LTA, the trial runs would begin on March 30 with the purpose to evaluate the effectiveness of the solar panels, as well as its performance under high temperature and daily cleaning routines. Instead of alternators, “these 1.6mm-thick, flexible and shatterproof panels” supply energy to the battery on the buses for its intended purposes, thus reducing fuel usage and carbon emissions. According to Kok, Go-ahead managing director Thompson says that the solar panels are expected to have a better performance in Singapore’s tropical climate and will be fitted onto more buses when the benefits are established. According to Kok, Go-ahead says that the weight of the solar panels on the roofs of the bus is not a concern as it is 3 times lighter than the standard solar panels and weekly inspections would be carried out followed by a final review to establish the “appropriate inspection schedule”. Importantly, the trial data proves the feasibility of implementing solar panels on buses on a long-term basis and how it benefits the environment.

While the article by Kok (2021) talks about the benefits of photovoltaic modules on solar buses, there is no mention that it can potentially mitigate the air pollution problem that is faced by urban cities around the world. The reduction of fuel consumption and hazardous emissions from buses in an Urban setting, can eventually lead to a more pleasant environment for people to live in with fewer air pollutants.

As a result of the change in air quality over the decades, there is a rise in environmental awareness from people around the globe. The degradation of air quality is responsible for health risks such as “respiratory infections, heart diseases and lung cancer” WHO (2019). According to WHO (2019), when harmful airborne particles are of size smaller than 10mm in diameter poses a health risk as they can directly penetrate the respiratory system of the human body. One of the main contributors to environmental degradation is the release of hazardous emissions, which come mainly from the combustion of fuel. For that reason, the transportation industry is one of the significant contributors of air pollutants to the environment as compared to other industries.

Understandably, the advance in technology in the transport industry improves the convenience of traveling for most people. In developed countries, vehicles are inevitably required to facilitate faster traveling. The convenience of traveling increase the demand for public transport such as buses leading to further release of harmful emissions into the environment. To combat the air pollution problem in urban settings, decision-makers such as bus-operating companies have been making countless attempts such as changing bus designs to improve aerodynamic performance, “fuel improvement” Tabatabaei et al. (2019), and “optimization of propulsion system” Benajes et al. (2016). Despite the efforts, there are no major improvements made to fuel consumption as well as the reduction of harmful emissions. It is only in recent years that solar panels are being installed on buses and improvements have been observed.

As technology advances, there are major improvements made to photovoltaic modules. Hence the idea of it to be installed onto the roof of buses, as it helps to generate clean energy and reduce hazardous emissions from the combustion of engines. Solar panels fitted on buses are of lighter weight and have better efficiency. According to Kok (2021), Singapore engineering director Lee states that the “solar panels used on the buses are ultra-thin and lightweight compared to conventional solar panels”. The photovoltaic module on the bus would supply energy to the battery, instead of alternators, hence reduction in fuel consumption by “reducing the load on the engine” Kok (2021). The photovoltaic modules are evident for their ability to provide clean energy for buses, and it is more efficient to operate in tropical climate countries like Singapore. According to Kok, in United Kindom, trial results have observed the reduction in the reliance on fuel, and in turn, reduce the amount of air pollutants from the combustion of diesel engines. According to Kok(2021), the data from trial runs have shown that the photovoltaic modules help to reduce approximately “1,400 liters of diesel and 3.7 tonnes of carbon emissions per bus per year”.

Despite the proven benefits of fuel and emission reduction from the usage of photovoltaic modules on the bus based on statistical data from trials, there is a downside of solar panels, which is the reliance on solar irradiance. According to the study by Oh et al (2020), there are several factors that can affect solar irradiance, such as the change in weather conditions and shades from trees or buildings. In order to combat the limitations, an intense amount of resources is being used on the research of geological irradiance study, angle of deflection for solar panels as well as route planning.

In summary, the air pollution caused by air pollutants produced by the transport industry is without a doubt significant. The use of photovoltaic modules fitted onto buses undergoing trial runs has gathered sufficient data to support the usage of photovoltaic modules on buses, potentially mitigating the air pollution problem.

Reference:

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

WHO (2019) Health consequences of air pollution on populations. https://www.who.int/news/item/15-11-2019-what-are-health-consequences-of-air-pollution-on-populations

Wang et al (2019) Complex to simple: In vitro exposure of particulate matter simulated at the air-liquid interface discloses the health impacts of major air pollutants. Chemosphere, Volume 223, Pages 263-274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.02.022

Chen et al (2016) Beyond PM2.5: The role of ultrafine particles on adverse health effects of air pollution. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects

Volume 1860, Issue 12, Pages 2844-2855 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.03.019

Ministry of Transport(2013) The COE system.  IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, Volume 563, Issue 2

Myeongchan Oh , Sung-MinKim, Hyeong-DongPark (2020) Estimation of photovoltaic potential of solar bus in an urban area. Case study in Gwanak, Seoul, Korea. Renewable Energy Volume 160 pg 1335-1348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.07.048

Pouya Ifaei, Hasti Khiabani, Md Jalil Piran, ChangKyoo Yoo (2020) Techno-econo-environmental feasibility of retrofitting urban transportation system with optimal solar panels for climate change mitigation – A case study. Journal of cleaner production volume 251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119639

Bai, et al (2019) Study on Charging Performance of Solar Panels Auxiliary Batteries for Hainan Electric Bus. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, Volume 563, Issue 2https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/563/2/022031