Summary / Reader Response (Final Draft)
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, when using solar light panels, they do not produce and emit harmful greenhouse gases which cuts 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)”.
As a result of rising
fuel prices, the need for renewable source energy is much more in demand. With
the benefits listed so far, one could wonder why Singapore has yet to implement
a full-scale installation nationwide. The need for space and the panels being
weather-dependent however are constraints that lead potential users to think
twice before committing to the product. By enhancing the Solar light panel
system's battery capabilities, and implementing Solar light panels directly
onto rooftops, the Energy Market Authority (EMA), together with Housing
Development Board (HDB) has taken steps to respond to make solar light panels
more effective in Singapore.
Firstly, EMA manage to
counter the flaw of solar light panels being weather dependent by deploying the
first utility-scale energy storage system to act as an additional battery in
2020. 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). 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, HDB has been
able to utilize its space by having solar light panels planted on its rooftops
to respond to the need for space issues for solar light panels. “PV cells are
available in different shapes and sizes and may have a maximum length of
several inches” (The Economic Times, 2019). HDB is able to take advantage of
the PV cell's variation feature to find the right size and quantity to fit onto
the rooftops of HDB buildings. As solar light panels work best under direct
sunlight, this movement can save space without affecting the solar light
panel’s performance. 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
emissions (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, however, 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 aluminium, 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,
Singapore’s effort to kickstart the use of solar light panels and solar energy
has not been in vain and has in fact advanced a long way. 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). The Economic Times.
Solar energy and the
environment. (2022,). eia (Energy information administration).
Gorman, M., & Bandera, M. (2022). Why is sunny Singapore not covered with
rooftop solar panels? Channel New Asia (CNA).
Tan, C. (2022).
Singapore could see 5,000 tonnes of solar panel waste in next 2 years. The
Straits Times.
Q, Ang. (2022). Energy
storage systems deployed to grow Singapore's solar power capacity. The Straits
Times.
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