Critical reflection

I have enjoyed the time from the past 13 weeks taking effective communications module. My initial impression before beginning was that the course would be similar to polytechnic's effective communication course which improve English skills such as grammar or spelling, I was therefore relieved to discover that we would tackle real communication scenarios within the context of our future work such as writing a technical report. Compared to other academically-inclined modules, effective communication actually gave me the closest impression of what my work scope would be like as a future civil engineer.

The process of preparing a technical report was a particularly fresh one for me. I appreciated that developing a good technical report requires me to work well with my group members. The process of creating a good technical report also requires in-depth researches and understandings, and also a great interest in that particular area. I appreciate having a team with a different perspective to share. However, there will be some challenges faced in every group work, with great teamwork and mentality to solve problems, every doubt will be a learning process.

I feel that Wei Wen's team has prepared a significant amount of time which they deserved to be pitching in the showcase on the very last lesson. Their efforts have not been wasted, which they landed themselves on the 2nd place. My team, however, during the actual presentation, did not fulfill the minimum time which cost us some grades. Overall the experience is enjoyable to pitch our original idea to the rest of the class. I hope that the skills I have learned during these 13 weeks will not disappoint me in my future report writing.

Technical report final

Executive Summary

This report has been developed in response to the request to develop a solution for an engineering problem. Mobility and accessibility within a university campus is always an important factor for any undergraduate. With the upcoming Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) located at Punggol set to be completed by 2023 (Cheng, 2018 ), the team proposes the implementation of a solar-powered electric scooter sharing system (SPESS).

Through an interview with Dr. Jawn Lim, a member of the SIT Punggol planning committee, the team has found out that the new campus of SIT Punggol will be approximately 25 hectares and has no existing plans for an on-campus transportation system such as a shuttle bus service. As a result, moving around the campus would take a considerable amount of time.

The implementation of the solar-powered scooter system will improve the traveling time taken to all parts of the campus for the students and staff members of SIT. After a careful evaluation of a case study from an existing e-scooter sharing system in NUS, which relies on the power grid, the team produced this report with the intention to improve that system by using solar energy as a sustainable source of energy.

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background Information

This report has been developed in response to the request for a proposal to develop a solution for engineering problems.

 

As Singapore strives to be more urbanized and sustainable, there have been great efforts to promote public transportation due to its increasing population. The “Walk, Cycle, Ride” was launched by Land Transport Authority (Land Transport Authority, n.d. ) to enhance Singapore’s transportation system further to have a “travel car-lite” society. The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy has addressed the importance of seamless mobility

LTA conducted a survey to monitor the commuting patterns of Singaporeans and the result showed that 70% of the commuters engaged in the “walk, cycle and ride” prior to using the public transportation system (Lim, 2018 ). E-scooters is one form of transport that commuters can use before they use public transportation. E-scooter is an environmentally friendly, portable and a convenient mode of transport and effective for quick journeys (Cheong, 2017 ). The pavements in most parts of Singapore provides an easy connection for better accessibility. A 30% growth in the sale of e-scooters was reported after the introduction of LTA’s code of conduct called the Active Mobility Act was implemented (Mobot, 2018 ). This shows the reliance of e-scooters and it will be expected to increase in the many years to come. 

According to NUS News  (2018), to better understand the behavior of people when using a personal mobility device (PMD) such as an e-scooter, the National University of Singapore has collaborated with Grabwheels for an e-scooter sharing system on campus. This e-scooter sharing system has shown to improve the traveling time taken to every part of the campus for the students and staff members of NUS.

The e-scooters are ready to serve students and staff members at assigned strategic locations on the NUS campus. To activate and deactivate the e-scooter, they are required to scan the QR code through an app designed by Grab. The battery life of the e-scooter has a capacity of up to one day, and it must be taken away to be recharged every evening and transported back to the parking stations for use the next day. This e-scooter sharing system is in line with Singapore’s transformation to travel “car-lite” and to be environmentally friendly (Cheong, 2017 ).

The relevance of this e-scooter sharing system located at NUS could be implemented to the new campus of SIT Punggol. From an interview the team conducted with Dr. Jawn Lim from the SIT Punggol planning committee, the team has discovered that the size of the new SIT campus would be approximately 25 hectares. According to him, there are no such plans for an on-campus transportation system such as shuttle buses or shared personal mobility device service. As a result, SIT students and staff members would have to walk around the whole campus on foot, with the longest stretch of walkway being 1 kilometer long, taking a considerable amount of time. 

To better understand the needs of students and staff members at SIT in terms of mobility within the new university campus, the team surveyed 30 current students from SIT@Dover. The results show that 80% of them find that accessibility and mobility within the new university campus compound to be vital. A solution must be developed to help tackle the issue of accessibility and mobility within the new SIT Punggol campus. 

SIT Punggol campus will be located at the Punggol Digital District under the land ownership of Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) of 50 hectares. There will be Personal Mobility Device (PMD) friendly pavements to encourage the campus to be car-lite and environmentally friendly (URA, 2018 ). This allows the community the opportunity to be more connected and have easier access to their destinations. 

As the developer JTC has plans for a PMD friendly pavement at the Punggol digital district, which includes SIT campus itself, the implementation of this solar-powered e-scooter is very relevant. A student will take a considerable amount of time to get from one point on campus to another point on campus. Ideally, it is vital to have good mobility within the campus itself to improve the accessibility of the students.

1.2 Problem statement

A self-sustaining SPESS would be ideal in the SIT Punggol campus to better facilitate the movement of students and staff members. From the interview with Dr. Jawn Lim, there are no proposed systems to be used in SIT Punggol. Such a system would ideally serve the needs of the students and staff members of SIT Punggol in terms of mobility, environmental sustainability and serving as an educational tool for future research.

1.3 Purpose statement

The purpose of this report is to propose to the planning committee of SIT Punggol the implementation of SPESS within the vicinity of SIT Punggol. The team also aims to highlight that the proposal is environmentally sustainable, provides better mobility for students and serves as an educational purpose to the community.

2.0 Proposed solutions

An e-scooter is a stand-up motorized mobility device using a small built-in battery. These are rechargeable batteries which require charging from conventional power plugs. The batteries will then supply power to operate the e-scooter. The difference between a solar-powered e-scooter and an ordinary e-scooter is that it uses solar energy to charge the battery. 

The team has conducted thorough research and has concluded that there is currently no usage of solar-powered e-scooter in Singapore. Therefore, the team proposes a solar-powered e-scooter sharing system pilot project to be implemented at the new campus. 

The e-scooters would aid in mobility and improve the connectivity within the campus. The overall goal of this sharing system would be to provide better accessibility for all SIT staff members and students around campus in a clean and sustainable way. 

The team will further elaborate on the planning procedures are taken into consideration for this sharing system.

2.1 Mechanism

The scooter will consist of a handlebar, a standing platform, and two wheels. Solar panels will be encased on the large deck where the rider stands.

2.2 Solar power as an energy source

 

Solar power is renewable energy that generates zero carbon emissions and helps environmental sustainability (EMA, n.d ). Photovoltaic cells will be installed onto the e-scooters which convert sunlight into electricity to charge the battery in the e-scooter. This shows the efficiency of having a stand-alone solar power which can reduce its costs for electricity, being self-reliant and requires minimum maintenance.

2.3 Integration with public transportation

As LTA continues to strive to improve connectivity, speed and convenience for commuters from home to destination (LTA, 2013 ) the implementation of solar-powered e-scooters within the campus would help in LTA’s vision for better connectivity. The implementation of this e-scooter sharing system would potentially solve the first-and-last-mile issue related to public transit access. 

2.4 SIT mobile application

 

With the SIT app, users will be able to locate the nearest e-scooter available, nearest parking spaces and the fastest route to the destination. The app will also be used to unlock the e-scooter by scanning the QR codes attached on the handlebar. Once the ride has ended, users can also pay for the trip via the app.

2.5 Routes

Pathway in addition to the existing footpaths to cater for bicycles and personal mobility devices. One example will be like the shared path adopted by LTA which creates a safe environment for both pedestrians and riders. 

2.6 Parking spaces

To ensure the ease of use of e-scooters, parking spaces will be allocated outside the MRT station and certain bus stops around campus. Various parking spaces will also be allocated evenly around the campus. This would ensure that users will have a complete journey to school.

2.7 Rules and regulations

 

Rules and regulations will be in place and made known to all users. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary actions by the school. 

3.0 Benefits

The benefits that we could gain from the proposed solution is a reduction of the traveling time taken by staff and students, a reduction on expenses by the school, an increase in economic activity and a decrease of vehicles on the campus roads.

3.1 Reduction in traveling time

With the incorporation of the e-scooter system to the upcoming SIT@Punggol campus, it would mean that the traveling time taken for SIT users would be significantly reduced. With the reduction in traveling time, the student would be better able to optimize their time wisely. 

3.2 Better connectivity

Connectivity within the campus is important for any university. With the introduction of this e-scooter system, students and staff would be more connected and would be able to travel to further parts of the campus with ease. As the e-scooter also supplements the public transportation system, it would mean that users are able to reach locations on campus that are considered far by foot.

3.3 Reduction on expense 

With the implementation of the e-scooters that are powered by solar energy, this would mean that SIT Punggol would be able to utilize the money that is otherwise used to pay for a conventional electric powered e-scooter. With the money that is saved, SIT could potentially use the funds to be used to further the vision of sustainability within the campus itself. SIT could install solar panels around the campus to power streetlights or infrastructure around the campus itself.

 3.4 Increased economic activity

With the increased mobility and accessibility of students and staff, there would be more opportunities for them to engage in economic activities on campus. Shopping and eating at locations around campus would be increased as people are mobile. Places such as MRT Station and economic hubs such as shopping plazas on campus would also see an increase in customers.

3.5 Reduction in cars on campus

The implementation of e-scooters would reduce the reliance of cars on campus promoting environmental sustainability. Due to the ease of mobility available on campus, staff and students would forego personal transport such as cars in favor of public transport and e-scooters to move around campus.

4.0 Evaluation

The proposed solution of implementing a SPESS at SIT Punggol to improve accessibility and mobility is doable as our project will be in line with the JTC master plan of Punggol Digital District. As JTC already has plans to incorporate a Personal Mobility Device (PMD) friendly pavements to travel car-lite, this proposal would be relevant to tackle the issue of mobility and accessibility of students within the university campus. The SPESS will reduce the reliance on the power grid, saving money in the long run. 

As there has never been a trial run of a SPESS of any kind in Singapore, the recommended plan of action to gauge the effectiveness of this system is to look at the current system being used in NUS. As mentioned earlier in the report, the system e-scooter used in NUS has shown to improve the time taken to travel from one point to another. However, the e-scooters in NUS has a problem where it must be regularly collected for the batteries to be recharged. From this, the team’s proposal of the SPESS is relevant as charging through solar power would eliminate this problem altogether. 

4.1 Challenges

Since there are regulations on the size and weight for e-scooter in Singapore, incorporating PV cells into e-scooters might increase its weight. With the additional load of solar panels onto the e-scooter, it might not meet LTA regulations requirements. 

According to LTA’s guidelines, an electric scooter shall not weight 20kg (Land Transport Authority, 2018 ). Therefore, the total weight of an e-scooter together with an incorporated PV cell shall not exceed 20kg. 

Therefore, certain comparisons such as which model, weight and cost of the scooters must be considered for it to be allowed to be used. 

5.0 Methodology 

5.1 Primary research

5.1.1 Online Survey

The primary research was an online survey questionnaire conducted by dissemination of a google form link to 30 current SIT students located in different campus via WhatsApp Mobile application. Current SIT students were chosen as the survey participants as they would spend the most amount of time traveling around the campus. The objective of the survey is to find out more about the opinions of SIT students on having an e-scooter sharing system in the new SIT@Punggol campus.

From the results of the survey, 99% of the respondent were keen on having an e-scooter sharing system in the new SIT@Punggol campus and 98.5% believe that the e-scooter sharing system will be of great aid to reduce traveling time on campus. The survey results support the team’s proposal and show the high demand for an e-scooter sharing system in the new SIT Punggol campus.

5.1.2 Interview

The team also has an interview with a member of the planning committee of SIT Punggol, Dr. Jawn Lim. 

From the interview, the team found out that:

i) There are currently no plans on having an e-scooter sharing system on the new campus.

ii) The size of the campus would be 25 hectares

iii) There are no plans for a transportation system with the campus

iv) The furthest distance a student could within the campus be 1km from one end to another

The results of the survey questionnaire and the transcript between the team and Dr. Lim would be attached in the appendices. 

5.2 Secondary research

Secondary research was conducted by the team to understand the relevance of the problem and to aid in the formation of the proposed solutions. 

The areas of research the team conducted were mainly: 

i) Conducted on Government websites such as LTA and URA for guidelines and schemes

ii) Conducted on websites relating to the case study of grabwheels and NUS to establish an e-scooter sharing system on campus to understand the inner workings of a similar e-scooter sharing system in Singapore. 

iii) Conducted on various websites pertaining to the SIT campus and the JTC digital district.

iv) Conducted on websites for the research on PV solar cells and e-scooters

6.0 Conclusion

With SIT Punggol still in the planning stage, the implementation of this proposal would enhance the university campus. Not only does it reduce the amount of time from one point to another, it improves connectivity and accessibility within the campus itself. With the implementation of the SPESS, businesses within the campus would flourish due to the increased mobility of students and staff within the campus itself. The use of the scooters as a means of transport within the university would lead to a car-lite campus. 

The sustainable use of solar power as a means to power the scooters would mean that the school would only have to bear the cost of the initial startup and maintenance of the system, unlike the conventional scooter systems which take energy from the power grid. This plus point would save costs, which can be used for other areas in the school. 

This proposal is relevant because it is in line with LTA’s vision of a more connected society, by using a device that is environmentally sustainable. This system, if implemented, would launch Singapore to a bright future. A city that integrates development with sustainability and would be an example to the rest of the world. 

Reflection on the Mapletree forum

Although I have no interest in entrepreneurship, attending this engaging Mapletree forum allows me to realize how difficult and challenging the four panelists had gone through over the years to become a successful entrepreneur.

One of the panelists, Nancy Ling, co-founder of EcoU Pte Ltd, mentioned that "Singaporean are addicted to plastics" and I fully agreed to that statement. Being a Singaporean myself, I would still unconsciously carry food takeaways in plastic boxes or plastics as it was convenient, and at the end of the day, the plastics will get disposed of without thinking twice. From this mindset, allowed Nancy Ling to create her current business on selling premium sustainable disposable cutlery and tableware in Singapore.

Another interesting takeaway from this Mapletree forum was, Zach Wilson, Managing Director of AlfaTech and DVUCA in Singapore, like talents from SiT and currently have two SiT interns working for him.

From this Mapletree forum, I have learned that being a successful entrepreneur, you need to have extreme passion and motivation and not starting it rashly.

Annotated Summary

Tyagi V.V., Nurul A.A. Rahim, N.A. Rahim, Jeyraj A./L. Selvaraj (2013) Progress in solar PV technology: Research and achievement. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 20 443-461.
Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2012.09.028.

This article focuses on the efficiency of solar PV technology in the world. The efficiency of the solar cell depends on the materials used and their costs. Different material types of solar cells were compared. Monocrystalline cells have the best efficiency, polycrystalline cells have the lowest cost, lightweight and are environmentally friendly, and lastly, the thin-film solar cells are less expensive as it uses few materials. There are several main factors that will affect cell efficiency. For factor on the temperature of the solar cell, efficiency and temperature are indirectly proportional. Therefore cooling is required at areas with highly concentrated sunlight. For the factor of dust affecting the cell efficiency, because it may block the sun's ray onto the PV modules, dust density and efficiency are directly proportional. Regular cleaning is suggested to achieve constant high performance. Lastly, the level of solar irradiance will determine the performance of the PV. The article highlighted the environmental impact of solar PV technology. The energy produced by the solar PV cell is clean and safe compared to coal and fossil fuel. This technology would be a good potential renewable energy source. However, at the end of each PV cell lifecycle, they should be recycled and disposed of safely to maintain any environmental harm to a minimum. If they are not disposed of properly, it might be toxic to the environment. The purpose of this article is to display to the world that solar PV technology can assume an important role to prevent further environmental pollution from the excessive use of fossil fuel for energy production.

Summary_reader response draft #3

In the MIT technology review, “What Happened to green concrete?”, Majcher (2015) stated that the intention for producing concrete that absorbs carbon dioxide was to reduce the 5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions which concrete accounted for. However; due to lack of support, the idea did not make progress, instead, the author introduced other technologies such as nanoengineering and fly-ash. The author mentioned that in 2010, Novacem, a green cement company, found a way to substitute Portland cement with magnesium oxide material that captures carbon dioxide when mixed with water. However, due to a lack of support, it resulted in their eventual liquidation. The author also mentioned, “Storing carbon dioxide in cement is not the only way to improve the material’s environmental footprint.” For instance; MIT’s Concrete Sustainability Hub showed that concretes created from nanoengineering procedure were twice as resistant to breaking and allow lesser concrete used for building constructions. Another way was modifying the properties of concrete by mixing with fly-ash.

The ideal way is to have zero carbon emission from concrete usage. However, green concrete does not garner enough support from researches. I believe the writer should have explained the research on green concrete to show why green concrete is not feasible.

One of the reasons why the research on green concrete is not feasible is the risk. Baggaley (2018) mentioned in her article that scientists have been tinkering with concrete by adding graphene to make it stronger and greener. She included in her article by Dr. Rackel San Nicolas, a civil engineer at the University of Melbourne in Australia and an expert on advanced construction materials, that more research must be conducted to determine whether "tiny graphene particles would pose any health or environmental risks." This shows that the constructions are not ready for sustainable concrete at the moment.

Another reason Majcher (2015) however did not mention the disadvantages of producing green concrete. Bandakkanavar (2014) mentioned that the main disadvantage of using green concrete is that it is not suitable to be used for constructing bridges or dams as it has less life than portland concretes. If green concretes are to be used for bridges, or dams, special air-entraining agents will be mixed in it which therefore increase the overall cost. This explains why most green concrete was used on a small scale and also lacking support.

Lastly, Bandakkanavar (2014) mentioned in his limitation of green concrete that "the split tensile strength of the green concrete is less than the conventional concrete. Thus more reinforcements are needed, which increases the construction cost of the structure". This shows that the enhancement process needed to produce green concrete will result in green concrete being more costly which is not feasible in the long run.

The author concluded that although green concrete was not successful, the takeaway was that cement factories and processes helped to enhance industry energy efficiency by 40% since the 1970s, helping in reducing global carbon dioxide emission.

References:

Baggaley K. (2018).  'Green' concrete could be game-changer for construction industry
Retrieved May 03, 2018 from 'Green' concrete could be game-changer for construction industry

Majcher, K. (2015). What Happened to Green Concrete?

Retrieved March 19, 2015 from What Happened to Green Concrete? - MIT Technology Review

Bandakkanavar R. (2014). Green Concrete
Retrieved September 08, 2014 from Green Concrete - Krazytech