San Diego County Single Family Residential Home Solar Model
San Diego County Single Family Residential Home Solar Model
Loading...
Issue Date
2018
Authors
Jaggi, Arjun
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
San Diego County residents have been subjected to rate increases from the energy distributorSDG&E (San Diego Gas & Electric). In order to balance the financial situation, San Diegans areseeking alternative ways to reduce the cost of electricity bills. Solar photovoltaic systems (PV) arean effective solution with tremendous financial benefits. Although many have heard about solarpower for several years, they know very little about technical and financial feasibility of theavailable systems, associated costs, and its life-cycle costs. In addition, the lack of information onavailable systems, their associated costs, and the complex assessment of various financialmethods in acquiring a system reduces the customer confidence in selecting the right system. Theobjective of the hypothesis is analyzed through the research data provided by GRID Alternatives,a non-profit organization that has installed over 200 PV panel systems within San Diego Countysince 2016. The model developed based on EXCEL takes into account independent variables suchas geographical location, insolation, roof size, panel and inverter efficiency, and average energyconsumption. The model analyzes dependent variables such as specification requirements, panelsneeded per roof area and produces a purposeful configuration based on the data analyzed andpresents a financial analysis model to conduct a cost benefit analysis. Based on model outputs, acomparative analysis can be made to determine whether single-family residential homeowners inSan Diego County will financially benefit from the installation of a PV system. The applicability ofthe developed model using a CHI Square test was conducted by comparing five randomlyselected GRID Alternatives project sites indicates that the model is valid with 90% accuracy.