Alternative energy

A type of energy that Singapore is using is solar energy. Solar energy uses energy from the sun ad converts it to electricity. An example of solar energy used in singapore is the solar park at the top floor of Marina barage.The Solar Park is one of the largest collections of solar panels in Singapore. The 405 panels generate about 50% of the daytime electricity needed for indoor lighting and power points at the barrage. Also, solar energy is being used in our HDB flats to power lights in common areas. I feel that solar energy is effective as it is an efficient type of energy, especially so in Singapore as we have a vast amount of sunlight due to our stragtegic location-near the equator. This thus makes singapore a tropical country, with alot of sunlight. Also, singapore has alot of HDB flats. Thus it is ideal to place solar panels on high areas, nearer to the sunlight thus it is able to recieve more sunlight as it is not blocked by anything. However, solar panels are very expensive and thus will place a huge burden on singapore's economy.

Another alternative energy is hybrid cars. An example of such kind of hybrid cars manufacturer is Honda and Toyota. Hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid, have a conventional petrol and an electric motor. At low speeds, they are powered solely by the electric motor. The petrol engine only kicks in at higher speeds, making them eminently ideal for urban driving. I feel that its effective because this lowers the amount of diesal used for the car. However, hybrid cars cost more due to the 2energy power in the car. The government has thus reduce the amount of road tax for energy efficient cars, such as hybrid cars to encourage more people to buy these cars.

Another alternative source is biogas.The main benefits of organic waste bio-methanisation are: It is a net energy producing process, it eliminates odours, it produces sanitised compost that is nutrient rich,it recycles carbon back into the soil, it maximizes recycling benefits, it provides a source of carbon credits.Bio-gas – The bio-gas produced is buffered, compressed and used as fuel in gas engines. The electrical power generated is fed into the power grid. Waste heat is recovered to heat the material being digested and fresh material being introduced into the digestor. Excess heat may be used for district heating, absorbent chillers, regeneration of dessicants for dehumidifying fresh air prior to chillers or processes that require 80ºC-90ºC heat. Because of the low energy requirements of the ADOS bio-methanisation process, it is very economical even in “small scale” facilities (e.g. 30 to 40 tons/day). This is effective as it allows wasted foods to be converted to energy. Due to singapore's small land area, Singapore do not need more land to bury the unwanted food and wait for it to decompose. Whereas, foods can be decomposed faster and used as fuels.
-Samantha lye