Alternative Energy Sources In Singapore (Evangel Teo)

Alternative energy refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels. In Singapore, there are a few types of alternative energy.

Solar Energy

Solar panels have been installed in Changi Airport, Sembawang Shopping Centre and Marina Barrage. The solar panel modules at Changi Airport cover a rooftop area of about 2,500m² and are expected to generate over 280,000kWh/year. The electricity is used for lighting in the buildings and outdoor areas, as well as for cooling and ventilation of internal spaces.  At Sembawang Shopping Centre, there are 51 pieces of solar panels installed on the rooftop of the carpark.  The solar panels are able to generate 34.52kWh per day and the average daily electricity generated is able to power a 32W fluorescent light for approximately 1.078 hours or 45 days. However, buying and installing the solar panels cost a large amount of money and the payback period (length of time required to recover the cost of an investment) is around 20 years.

Even though the cost of buying and installing is high and the payback period is a rather long time, I think they are effective in Singapore because of the tropical climate and there is sunlight throughout the year.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from the combination of an alcohol with natural fats. Most of the current Biodiesel producers use refined, edible vegetable oils. It can be used pure or blended with diesel. It is compatible with all diesel engines, produces less black smoke, has less carcinogenic emissions, is biodegradable, non-toxic, non-flammable, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, is truly renewable (unlike other alternatively fuels such as Hydrogen and Fuel Cell whose energy is ultimately derived from crude hydrocarbon) and sulphur-free (does not cause acid rains).

Biodiesel is convenient to switch to because it is compatible with all unmodified diesel engines and even though there are only a few retail outlets throughout Singapore, it can be bought in bulk and stored easily because it is very stable at atmospheric pressure and will not ignite even under a naked flame. However, biodiesel is more expensive than diesel so some people might not want to make the switch even though it could reduce air pollution and carcinogenic emissions.

Hybrid Cars

A few car manufacturers like Honda, Toyota and Nissan have produced hybrid cars. A few examples are the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid. Hybrid cars have an internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered by batteries. At low speeds, the car is only powered by the electric motor and when the speed increases, the other engine is used.

The cost of hybrid cars is more expensive than conventional cars and to encourage more people to purchase hybrid cars, the government have lowered the road taxes for hybrid cars. The use of hybrid cars is also particularly effective in Singapore where there are often traffic jams in the city area and the cars move at a slow speed, thus only the electric motor is used.