Go-Ahead to deploy 50 more buses fitted with ultra-thin solar panels

Go-Ahead Singapore will from Monday (Jan 16) progressively roll out 50 additional buses fitted with ultra-thin solar panels to further reduce the carbon footprint of its vehicles.

By end of April this year, a total of 52 buses will be fitted with these roof-mounted solar panels, the company said in a media release. 

This includes two buses on trial since March 2021, the first time such solar panels have been installed on buses in Singapore. The buses ran on Service 15. 

The initiative was implemented in Singapore following a successful trial in Southampton, Britain. 

Ultra thin panels were chosen instead of conventional solar panels due to their lightweight and flexible nature. 

The trial aimed to evaluate the buses’ performance and effectiveness in harnessing and using solar energy to reduce carbon emissions and fuel consumption under Singapore's tropical climate and traffic conditions. 

The ultra-thin solar panels convert solar energy into electricity to power the bus battery.

Go-Ahead said the findings from the trial have been positive, adding that it was able to achieve fuel savings of 3 per cent to 4 per cent a year. This translates to about 3.7 to 4 tonnes of carbon emissions annually per bus.