Summary Reader Response Draft 4

The Economic Times’ article on “What are solar light panels and how do they work” (2019) informs readers about the purpose, features, and applications of solar light panels. The Economic Times states that “solar light panels are used for residential and commercial lighting purposes” and that the panels are made of "photovoltaic (PV) modules." The modules are composed of solar cells and these solar cells are made using crystalline silicon. These cells will draw in energy from the sun and convert it to electrical energy for power usage (Economic Times, 2019). In the system, there are cells that are "either connected or not connected to the main power grid ". When the system is linked to the power grid, DC (Direct Current) power is generated through the PV panels through a power conditioning unit to create AC (Alternating Current) Power (Economic Times, 2019). Power developed during daytime is used for "lighting systems." Some of the features of the solar light panels include it being durable and that the "individual solar cells are semiconductors and can produce electricity on their own." Benefits of the solar powered system include the reduction for the use of limited resources and that these cells do not produce harmful greenhouse gases (Economic Times, 2019). According to the article, solar light panels can be found in households to reduce cost and cut down global warming issues. They are also used in everyday gadgets like our "calculators, watches, torches, and flashlights." As Singapore has very little land space, electrical companies should adopt Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) Cell panels as these have the highest performance and efficiency in energy creation and cost much less to the monocrystalline, polycrystalline or thin film solar panels.

One reason why Singapore should use concentrated photovoltaic cell panels as they have a 41% efficiency in energy conversion whereas the other solar panels such as monocrystalline, polycrystalline or even the thin-film solar panels have only 7-20% efficiency in energy conversion (Greenmatch, 2022). These different solar panels each have their own pros and cons which will affect which is most suitable for the user depending on their property and needs (Marsh, 2022). As concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) cell panels are the latest generation of solar panels, they are built for efficiency and cost effectiveness (Greenmatch, 2022). The third generation solar panels are the concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) cell panels. These panels are made using solar cells, lens, mirrors, a solar tracker and cooling system (McConnell & Fthenakis,2012). Singapore is limited in space as it only has 710 square kilometres in size, so picking a solar panel that has higher efficiency would be beneficial (Ministry of Foreign Affairs n.d). Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) Cell panels should be used instead of the monocrystalline or polycrystalline solar panels is due to the fact that the energy conversion per area is higher (Greenmatch, 2022).

Another reason why concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) Cell panels should be used is that they are not the cheapest option in the market, but it is much cheaper compared to other solar panels (HomeAdvisor,2020). Concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) cells are made mainly of steel beams holding lenses or mirrors compared to typical solar panels with solar cells, which brings down the cost significantly (McConnell & Fthenakis,2012). The use of lenses and mirrors to fill up most of the space instead of solar cells decreases the cost of the solar panels to $0.80 to $1.10 per watt (HomeAdvisor, 2020). Monocrystalline and Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell solar panels are the most expensive solar panels out in the market as they are made of single silicon crystal and energy exacting, which lead to it being the biggest cost option (Marsh, 2022). The monocrystalline solar panels cost about $1 to $1.50 per watt which is the highest in price (HomeAdvisor, 2020). Comparing the solar panels, Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) panels are much more expensive compared to Concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) cell panels. Photovoltaic panels and thin-film solar panels cost about $0.70 to $1 per watt. These have the lowest cost but the efficiency and performance are also lower (HomeAdvisor, 2020). The concentrated photovoltaic cell panel is chosen as the energy efficiency to cost is better compared to the rest.

However, there are three major factors that would restrict energy efficiency. The first one is that Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) cell panels require a solar tracker to track the position of the sun and move according to maximise light focus (McConnell & Fthenakis, 2012). Secondly, it needs a cooling system, as temperature increases, cell efficiency would decrease and will overall reduce long term stability of its solar cells (McConnell & Fthenakis, 2012). These two systems are required to enable the solar panel to reach high efficiency rates of up to 41% (Greenmatch, 2022). Lastly, electrical output would be reduced when there are clouds blocking the sun (McConnell & Fthenakis, 2012).

In conclusion, electrical companies in Singapore should use concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) cell panels as energy efficiency is the highest compared to the others and it is one of the cheaper options on the market. As Singapore’s energy consumption increases due to fast economic developments, choosing a suitable type of solar panels will benefit Singapore as space is limited and it will have more energy generation per land and is cost effective.





References



Economic Times. (2019, May 7). What are solar panels and how do they work.https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/productline/power-generation/what-are-solar-light-panels-and-how-do-they-work/articleshow/69130408.cms?from=mdr

Greenmatch.(2022, April 13). 7 Different Types of Solar Panels Explained https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2015/09/types-of-solar-panels

HomeAdvisor.(2020, December 2). Price of Solar Panels https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/heating-and-cooling/solar-panel-prices/

Marsh. J(2022, July 26).Types of solar panels

https://news.energysage.com/types-of-solar-panels/

McConnell, R., & Fthenakis, V. (2012, March 16).Third Generation Photovoltaics. Https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/32594

Ministry of Foreign Affairs.(n.d) .About Singapore https://www.mfa.gov.sg/Overseas-Mission/Xiamen/About-Singapore

Pickerel, K.(2016, July 5). What is PERC? Why should you care? https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2016/07/what-is-perc-why-should-you-care/



Solar AI Technology. (2020,November 3). Types of Solar Panels in Singapore. https://getsolar.ai/blog/types-of-solar-panels/#:~:text=There%20are%203%20main%20types,and%20thin%2Dfilm%20solar%20panels.