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KMB’s third-generation solar panel bus is put into service on next Monday
The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd. (“KMB”) has introduced the third generation of the in-house developed solar panel bus, which the Transport Department has approved. It will be deployed on 17 May (Monday) and put into service on Route 58X [Tuen Mun (Leung King Estate) ⇋ Mong Kok East Station]. KMB states that the new installation has become a standard configuration for newly purchased buses. It is expected that the first batch of about 170 buses will arrive in Hong Kong in the first half of 2022 at the earliest.
The third-generation solar panel bus will put into service on Route 58X. It will depart from Leung King Estate Bus Terminus at 05: 51 on 17 May. The reason for choosing Route 58X is that the relevant route runs on Tuen Mun Road. Since the road surface is flat and the daylight is sufficient, it will have a better performance for the solar power generation and emission reduction effects.
Solar panels installation has become a standard configuration for newly purchased buses. KMB expects that the first batch of about 170 buses equipped with the ultra-thin solar panels will arrive in Hong Kong as soon as in the first half of 2022. In addition, more than 1,000 in-service buses with eight-service year below will also be installed with ultra-thin solar panels. The retrofitting project makes a quarter of the bus fleet with renewable energy systems, making KMB and LWB become the largest eco-friendly fleet in Hong Kong.
The background of the solar panel bus
KMB’s Engineering Team has enhanced the solar panel system by installing 14 pieces of 2mm ultra-thin solar panel on the bus rooftop. When the energy of the bus is turned off, and the temperature of the compartment over 35°C, the system will make use of solar energy to extract hot air from the compartment. Hence the air temperature in the compartment can be reduced by around 8-10°C. It will also supply electricity to the fans of the air-conditioning system, thereby reducing fuel consumption.
The weight of the new installation is reduced, but the coverage area is increased compared with the previous generations. Hence, the overall solar energy efficiency has been increased by 33%. The third-generation solar panel bus can save 5-8% of the daily fuel consumption of each bus, which is equivalent to reducing about 6 tonnes of carbon emission per bus every year.
List of different generations of Solar Panel Buses
|
|
1st generation (Solar panel) |
2nd generation (Solar panel) |
2nd generation (Solar panel-red bus) |
3rd generation (Ultra-thin solar panel) |
|
Additional rooftop weight after installation |
40kg |
110kg |
110kg |
70kg |
|
Power electricity |
7.2kWh |
8.6kWh |
8.6kWh |
16.2kWh |
|
Coverage area |
46% of rooftop area |
66% of rooftop area |
46% of rooftop area |
76% of rooftop area |
|
Improved efficiency over the previous generation |
N/A |
10% |
33% |
|
|
Solar panels |
Installed directly to the rooftop |
Installed on aluminum frames, creating a heat insulation layer between rooftop to reduce the influence of sunlight on the temperature of the compartment’s ceiling |
2mm ultra-thin solar panels pasted directly to rooftop, with a heat insulation layer |
|
|
Fuel consumption reduced by |
2.5% |
3% |
5-8% |
|
|
Emission reduction benefit |
Each bus can save about 2.9 tonnes of carbon emission per year |
Each bus can save about 3.65 tonnes of carbon emission per year |
Each bus can save about 6 tonnes of carbon emission per year |
|
|
The temperature of the compartment compared with a normal bus |
↓5 °C |
↓8-10°C |
↓8-10°C |
|
KMB’s Engineering Team installed 14 pieces of 2mm ultra-thin solar panel on the bus rooftop.
The new generation of solar bus supplies electricity to the air-conditioning system and ventilation systems, reducing the air temperature of the compartment by 8 to 10 degrees.
