Taiwan’s renewable energy and energy conservation industry should start research and development of solar-powered bicycles and power-conversion sunshades and hats, in addition to solar-powered home appliances. Such products could turn Taiwan into a new energy-saving and carbon-reducing high-tech kingdom.
Taiwan is still the world’s leading bike manufacturer. It used to be the leader in umbrella and hat manufacturing. If it can add photovoltaic technology to its line-up of bikes, sunshades and hats, it has a chance to monopolize the market, create more jobs and boost exports, while making a significant contribution to environmental protection.
Today’s electric bikes are mostly powered by oil and electricity. Oil price hikes affect electric-bike owners use of engine oil, fuel oil and gasoline. These bikes also create carbon dioxide emissions and consume energy when their batteries are recharged, plus discarded batteries can cause environmental problems. If Taiwan can develop solar powered bikes while lowering production costs and prices to those of ordinary bikes, it would be a breakthrough. Such bikes could automatically recharge by being left out in the sun.
Think about it: If half of the bikes in the world were replaced with solar powered bikes developed in Taiwan, this would be a significant contribution both to Taiwan’s economy and to global environmental protection.
Developing power-conversion sun umbrellas and hats is somewhat similar to developing solar powered bikes. Manufacturers should invent umbrellas or hats equipped with small boxes that would act as power converters for solar power storage and conversion. Such boxes could store solar-generated power automatically after being in the sun for a while. Consumers would then remove the converters and install them in home appliances, such as fans, radios, toasters and dryers. If half of the people in the world who use sun umbrellas or hats could use such Taiwan-made products, these inventions would be a significant contribution to not only Taiwan but also the world.
Taiwan has the potential to become a new energy-saving and carbon-reducing high-tech kingdom. Such an achievement would win international recognition of Taiwan’s efforts on energy conservation, carbon reduction and sustainable environmental protection. It could even bring a Nobel Peace Prize to Taiwan and enable it to enter the UN Environment Program.
The government should boost research and development funds to help upgrade the photovoltaic technology and develop the renewable energy and energy conservation industries.
Song Yann-huei is a research fellow in the Institute of European and American Studies at Academia Sinica.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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