CA2 Summary Reader Response Final Draft

The Economic Times’s article on "What are solar light panels and how do they work?", educates us on the usage and the functions of solar lighting panels, and how it is being used for both residential and industrial lighting. According to “What are solar light panels... “(2019), Photovoltaic (PV) modules are used to make solar light panels. A solar light panel system is “made up of several solar cells that are either linked or not connected to the main power grid.” The article mentions if the solar panel lighting system is” linked to the grid, the direct current (DC) power generated by the PV panels is converted to alternating current (AC) electricity by a power conditioning unit.” Individual solar or PV cells are constructed of semiconductor components and may generate power on their own. The solar light panel system “consists of electrical wire connections, mounting hardware, batteries as storage for the extra energy generated” and solar panels itself. These panels are durable and its effectiveness in converting sunlight into electrical energy only drops by one-two percent in a year. It is also a movement for implementing clean energy as well as using sustainable resources, in daily life. The system can be widely "implemented on traffic lights, streetlights and even powering gadgets such as torches and calculators.” Singapore has been aiming to achieve high reliance on sustainable energy and such endeavors are to deploy sustainable energy solution throughout the country. Singapore must consider the cost and efficiency of these panels before using solar panels as its main form of sustainable energy.

 

Solar panel deployments have high initial cost. In July 2022, Singapore invested $6 million dollars on floating solar panels which generates 1.5MW-peak power of electricity aiming to make Jurong island a sustainable energy park (Tan, 2022). Absicht Engineering (2022), a local Singapore company offering solar lighting panel installations and products, stated on its website that the cheapest solar panel installation without connecting to the main grid cost $3688 and this is only to power up a 24hrs CCTV system. For powering up to a 2.7 kWh/day system, it requires a $5688 installation package. According to the Minister of Sustainability and the Environment of Singapore, Ms. Grace Fu An average monthly power consumption for electricity is 1257kWh for landed properties around Singapore (Fu, 2021). Based on simple calculations, the per day average electricity consumption is 41.9kWh. That is only 6% of the electricity usage being powered by solar panels. There is also higher global demand for solar panels yet there is shortage of materials to produce it. Svarc (2022) mentions that a solar panel consists of PV cells. In 2021 the price of Polysilicon, a key element in producing PV modules was priced at $11/kg however, as of June 2022 the price of the element has risen to $34.50/kg (Lum, 2022) which drives the cost of solar panels higher.

 

Different panel types have different efficiency and cost too. The highest efficiency of solar panels for consumers is 20% (Lane, 2022). Monocrystalline panels are between 15% - 20% efficiency, but its the most expensive when compared to Polycrystalline panels which are between 15% - 17% efficiency while the cheaper Thin film solar panels are 7% to 18% efficiency (Marsh, 2022) . Additionally, wear and tear of solar panels can reduce its effectiveness to produce electricity. According to the article “Common problems with solar panel” (2021), Micro-cracks can be formed during careless handling or unforeseen weather events. These are tiny cracks in the solar panels that cannot be seen by the naked eye. These cracks will get bigger over time and as weather changes to the point that it can disrupt the flow of energy and reduce the efficiency of the solar panel by 2.5% (“Micro-Fractures in Solar Modules: Causes, Detection and Prevention,” 2020). Weather conditions are also another factor causing a 10-25% drop in efficiency. Singapore often experiences sudden onset rains and when this happens, solar panels receive lesser sunlight and the exact amount of sunlight varies on how dark the cloud coverage is or how heavy the rain is. But it is important to take note that rain will help wash any dust, dirt or pollen on the solar panels hence increasing small amount of efficiency after the rain. (Palmetto, 2016)


Singapore land constraint means that adopting solar panels is the best choice when compared to another form of sustainability such as windmill or hydro-generators. we can implement solar panels onto the existing and future infrastructure. One such example is Belgium. In 2011, Belgium installed 16,000 solar panels on the 50,000 m2 roof of a 3.4km railway tunnel generating a whopping 3,300 MWh of electricity per year (Schmucker, 2020). Instead of implementing on railway tunnels, Singapore can install solar panel on existing HDBs residential building rooftops and even water bodies. According to Building and Construction Authority of Singapore, before any installations begins, a structure engineer must first inspect the roof structure and calculate the structural loading to instal solar panels on existing buildings, it is mounted on roof surface with a stand-off ten centimetres to reduce module temperature through air circulation. It is recommended that the panels be installed at an angle of 10-15 degree for framed panels to allow rainwater to run off properly as flat panel can easily get dirty due to trapped rainwater and dust (Dr Jiang Fan et al., ca. 2008). Solar Panels system have been installed on the rooftops of HDB flats in Choa Chu Kang Avenue 5 to power common services such as lift, lights and water pumps in the HDB estates during the day. Water bodies such as Tengeh Reservoirs are currently being occupied by floating solar panels which spans about forty-five football fields making it the worlds largest inland floating system straight times (Lee Pei Jie et al., 2022). “Singapore is working to meet 28% of it’s peak power demand with solar energy by 2030” (Koons.E, 2022).

 

 

 

 In conclusion, solar panels are an excellent choice of sustainable energy for Singapore. Even though the cost and efficiency of solar panels are vital factors when it comes to making a choice, its versatility is the key factor in making it the workable option for Singapore.The cost can also be easily offset with large savings in electricity bills when comparing to rely solely on fossil fuels for energy at the same time it earns its rightful title as a “Garden City” approaching sustainable energy as a long-term source of electricity.

 

 References:

 

Absicht Engineering. (2022, September 3). Products. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://absichtengrg.com.sg/

 

Dr Jiang Fan, A/P Stephen K. Wittkopf, Anupama Rana Pandey, & Singapore. Building and Construction Authority. (ca. 2008, January 1). Green Handbook: Photovoltaic (PV) Systems in Buildings. Building and Construction Authority. https://www.bca.gov.sg/greenmark/others/pv_guide.pdf

 

Fu, G. F. (2021, May 11). Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Household Electricity and Water Consumption by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.mse.gov.sg/resource-room/category/2021-05-11-written-reply-to-pq-on-household-electricity-and-water-consumption/

 

Koons, E. (2022, June 16). Solar Power in Singapore: A Shining Energy Source. Energy Tracker Asia. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://energytracker.asia/solar-power-singapore/

 

Lane, C. (2022, February 28). Solar panel efficiency: how much it matters, top brands & more. Solar Reviews. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/what-are-the-most-efficient-solar-panels

 

Lee Pei Jie, Lim Yaohui, & Sylvia Quek (Eds.). (2022, May 23). Solar City: The surprising places you will find solar panels in Singapore. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/graphics/2022/05/singapore-solar-power-panels/index.html?shell

Lum, D. (2022, June 8). Will solar panels get cheaper? (updated for 2022). Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://www.thesolarnerd.com/blog/will-solar-get-cheaper/


 Marsh, J. (2022, July 31). Types of solar panels. EnergySage Blog. Retrieved October 5, 2022, from https://news.energysage.com/types-of-solar-panels/


Micro-Fractures in Solar Modules: Causes, Detection and Prevention. (2020, June 16). GallagherUs. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://www.ajg.com/us/news-and-insights/2020/jan/micro-fractures-in-solar-modules-causes-detection-and-prevention/#:%7E:text=What%20are%20the%20consequences%20of,have%20varying%20to%20no%20effects.

 

Palmetto, P. S. (2016, July 8). Solar Panel Efficiency In The Rain. Renewable Energy World. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/solar/solar-panel-efficiency-in-the-rain/#gref

 

Schmucker, J. (2020, November 4). Solar energy: how can existing infrastructure be used more efficiently? Simplexity. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://simplexity.news/en/solar-energy-how-can-existing-infrastructure-be-used-more-efficiently/

 

SunPower Australia. (2021, July 20). Common Problems With Solar Panel. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://sunpower.maxeon.com/au/blog/common-problems-solar-panels

 

Svarc, J. (2022, March 29). Solar Panel Construction — Clean Energy Reviews. CLEAN ENERGY REVIEWS. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.cleanenergyreviews.info/blog/solar-panel-components-construction

 

Tan, C. T. (2022, July 15). Floating solar panels at sea part of S'pore's $6m investment in clean energy tech on Jurong Island. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/floating-solar-panels-at-sea-part-of-spores-6m-investment-in-clean-energy-tech-on-jurong-island

 

The Economic Times. (2019, May 7). What are solar light panels and how do they work. The Economic Times. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/productline/power-generation/what-are-solar-light-panels-and-how-do-they-work/articleshow/69130408.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

 

ZGSM. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.zgsm-china.com/blog/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-solar-power-and-solar-street-lights.html#disadvantages-of-solar-street-lights


Edited 5 October 2022


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