Technical Report (Solar Panel)

As a member of solar impact, I was responsible for any research regarding solar panels.

1. Solar energy systems consist of different components, such as panels, inverters, racks, and batteries, with panels generating electricity through solar cells. However, the effectiveness of the panels can be affected by overheating (GEM Energy Australia, 2019). Batteries are optional and are used for storing surplus energy or as backup power, but their technology is still expensive and not fully developed (GEM Energy Australia, 2019). According to Jalo (2022), there are three main types of solar panels as seen in Table A1.  Singapore has reached its 350 megawatt-peak solar deployment targets for 2020, making it one of the world's solar-dense cities. Its 2030 objective is to install 2 gigawatt-peak of solar energy while speeding up installation and achieving 1.5 gigawatt-peak by 2025, which is equal to powering 260,000 houses in Singapore every year (Energy Market Authority, n.d.). Given the continuous breakthrough in technology, solar panel technology has also advanced to the point that the cost is now comparable to conventional methods (Johnston, 2022).

2. The solar panels are used to convert solar heat to electricity, and block heat from entering through the roofs of the shophouses. According to the University of San Diego (2011), the heat reaching the roofs decreased by 38% after the solar panels were installed. The solar panel must meet two requirements to be selected: it must be effective in a small area, and its installation must be simple enough to prevent structural damage to the roofs.  

 

3. The solar panels chosen will be the passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) panels.  due to its higher production of energy as compared to its conventional counterparts (Aurora, n.d).  This is due to an extra sheet of cells at the back of the panel. PERC panels are ideal for smaller locations, like roofs. Lesser solar panels will be used due to the increased energy output, which will reduce the requirement for racking, wiring, and other hardware to connect all the solar panels. The solar panels will be installed on the rooftops, as seen in Figure A2 and A3.