Open AccessOpportunities and Obstacles in the Transition to a Distributed Network of Rooftop Solar
Author(s) -
Steve Hall
Publication year - 2020
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Dissertations/theses
DOI - 10.18122/td/1661/boisestate
Subject(s) - photovoltaic system , intermittency , grid , distributed generation , renewable energy , architectural engineering , solar energy , environmental economics , engineering , rooftop photovoltaic power station , zero energy building , energy transition , computer science , business , electrical engineering , geography , meteorology , economics , medicine , turbulence , alternative medicine , geodesy , pathology , maximum power point tracking , inverter , voltage , panacea (medicine)
This paper investigates the feasibility and viability of providing power to Ada County, Idaho, using a distributed network of rooftop solar photovoltaic panels. Using a multi-disciplinary and multi-method modeling approach, a detailed simulation is performed where existing structures are retro-fitted with grid-tied solar photovoltaic systems using currently available technology. Feasibility is determined using simulated supply and demand per building, while viability is determined through standard financial metrics used in the energy sector. A major critique of solar energy comes from the vast amounts of space required to efficiently capture solar power, along with the inefficiencies created by transmission loss and intermittency. Under a system where structures become both producers and consumers of energy, with PV panels deployed in unused rooftop space, this paper mitigates those critiques and analyzes the results. Four case scenarios are discussed based on the perspectives of differing energy stakeholders; consumers, private firms, public utilities, and national governments.