Summary / Reader Response (Draft 2)
The article “What are solar light panels and how do they work (The Economic Times, 2019)” served as an introduction to the public on solar light panel’s features and applications. A solar light panel system consists of photovoltaic (PV) modules, electrical connections, an inverter, a breaker box, and batteries. The PV modules, made of crystalline silicon solar cells, are used for converting light energy from the sun into electricity to be used or stored. Solar panels generate direct current (DC) electricity, and an inverter is then used to convert the electrical currents into alternating currents (AC). Once the current is converted into AC current, the current flows from the inverter into the breaker box which distributes the electrical energy across the building and acts as a fuse if required. Lastly, the batteries act as storage units for the converted currents to be used when needed. By having their own renewable and infinite source of energy using just the sun, users can save money and cut cost their electricity bills. Solar light panels are also known to be very durable and do not deteriorate easily. While the solar cells by themselves are very delicate, the exterior framing and glass make up for that weakness. In addition, the main highlight of using solar light panels is solar energy, they do not produce and emit harmful greenhouse gases which cut down on air pollution. “Using solar energy can have a positive, indirect effect on the environment when solar energy replaces or reduces the use of other energy sources that have larger effects on the environment (eia, 2022)”.
In
today’s world, where not only the cost of living is more expensive but fuel as
well, makes the need for renewable source energy that much more demanding. With
the benefits listed so far, one could wonder why Singapore has yet to implement
a full-scale installation nationwide. It is because there are factors such as the need
for space, and the panels being weather-dependent that causes potential users to
think twice before committing to the product. However, Energy Market Authority
(EMA) has taken steps to respond to the cons and prove the solar light panels
to be advantageous to Singapore in the long run.
Firstly, one of the main disadvantages of solar
light panels is the product being weather dependent. The solar light panels are
unable to generate electricity without sunlight such as at night or during the day
when it rains or if it is just cloudy. “While batteries are used to store
solar-generated electricity on a localized basis, the true challenge lies in
developing efficient and reliable utility-scale assets that can manage storage
across an entire power grid” (Gorman & Bandera, 2022). EMA manage to counter
this flaw by deploying the first utility-scale energy storage system in 2020.
The new storage system provides a capacity big enough for over 200 HDB units in
a day alone. This project not only allows more HDB buildings to adopt the installation but also “seeks to address solar intermittency for large-scale solar
installations by using HDB blocks as test sites” (Gorman & Bandera, 2022).
Secondly, the little red dot is not just a
nickname for Singapore. Singapore is generally known to be a very small country
with limited land, so space is an obstacle for solar light panel
installations and power generation. HDB has been able to utilize its space by
having its solar light panels planted on its rooftops. Additionally, there
have been other developments as well which played a part in further countering the space situation, “these include mobile solar PV systems that can
be used on temporarily vacant land and relocated as necessary” (Gorman &
Bandera, 2022). EMA further added that apart from roof installations, the Tengah
reservoir plant which launched in July 2021 powers up to 16,000 HDB units and can
reduce the equivalent of 7,000 cars worth of carbon emission (Gorman & Bandera,
2022).
However, there are flaws that Singapore has
yet to find an answer for. As technology is always improving, newer devices are
always surfacing, and it is only natural for customers to want to ensure they
are using the latest and most efficient model. The issue is not the replacement of
solar panels but solar panel waste becoming an underlying concern. Co-founder of
solar tech firm EtaVolt, Dr. Stanley Wang estimated that “up to 5,000 tonnes of
photovoltaic waste could be generated within the next two years, assuming that
these solar panels are not recycled properly” (Tan, 2022). It is expensive to
recycle solar panels, and locally there are not many vendors who are familiar
with the recycling of solar light panels. What makes recycling solar panels
expensive is that “they are made of materials such as aluminum, glass, and
silicon, which can be potentially recycled, but are often difficult to separate”
(Tan,2022). Despite the hurdle, Singapore is still going strong in finding
solutions. Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has an ongoing research
team focusing on developing approaches to recycling solar light panels. Additionally,
Semcorp and Singapore Polytechnic are playing their part as well with the target
to commercialize Singapore’s first solar panel recycling process.
In conclusion, studies do show that solar light
panels will be advantageous in the long run. Singapore authorities and EMA have
been and continue to work hard in expanding the implementation of solar light
panels across our country, with the aim that one-day solar energy will be able
to replace fossil fuels and oil as Singapore’s source of renewable.
References
What are solar light panels and how do they work. (2019, May 1). The Economic Times.
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
Solar energy and the environment. (2022, Feb 25). eia (Energy information administration).
Matthew Gorman & Miriam Bandera. Why is sunny Singapore not covered with rooftop solar panels? (2022, Jul 04).Channel New Asia (CNA).
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