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Meet the Team:
Brian Bates, CS major from Westport, MA Dillon Buchanan, ECE major from Marstons Mills, MA Stephen Mueller, ECE major from Freetown, MA Thomas Parenteau, CE major from Scarborough
SOLAR FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS FOR THE WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
SOLAR FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS FOR THE WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
SOLAR FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS FOR THE WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WPI 2009 Meet the Team: Brian Bates, CS major from Westport, MA Dillon Buchanan, ECE major from Marstons Mills, MA Stephen Mueller, ECE major from Freetown, MA
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The Project
Church is burdened by high electricity bills IQP – Group of students work on a community
related project
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The Project
Problem Statement: To determine the economic
feasibility of a solar panel installation at Wesley United Methodist Church and to explore its societal benefits.
Site Analysis Economic Incentives Scenarios Social Benefits Recommendations
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Solar Panel
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Site Analysis
Average monthly electricity usage: 9,500 kWh, or
$1,300
Total usable space: 4,400 sq ft of flat roof The flat roof has mostly southern exposure Maximum roof weight is 35lb/sqft
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Site Analysis
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Site Analysis
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Economic Incentives Available
Most incentives take the form of tax breaks:
No sales tax on purchase of components Deductions from property tax
However, there are rebates available through
Commonwealth Solar
$3.25 per Watt deduction for systems under 25kW Extra $0.25 if components made in MA
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How much sunlight is available to work with?
Available Sunlight
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Massachusetts Weather
New England Weather is mixed Solar panel orientation
South Facing
Solar panel tilt
42 degrees
Account for the site location:
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Solar Insolution
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Worcester's Solar Insoluation
3.50 4.23 4.75 5.05 5.68 5.51 5.75 5.61 5.10 4.45 3.51 3.18 4.15 4.93 5.93 6.41 7.37 7.47 7.77 7.60 6.93 5.95 4.52 4.01
Mean Daily Insolation per m2
Worceseter, MA Sacramento, CA
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What are the affects of a moderately sized array vs. a large array?
Solar Array Scenarios
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Scenarios
Small capital cost after
rebates
$49,000.00
47 Solar panels Minimal roof area
125 m2
19 years to break even $66,000.00 generated
in the array’s lifespan
$15,000.00 total profit
Large capital cost after
rebates
$110,750.00
108 Solar panels Maximum roof area
290 m2
19 years to break even $152,000.00 generated
in the array’s lifespan
$41,250.00 total profit
10 kW System 23 kW System
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Energy Production
2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 kWh Month
Energy Usage and Production
Energy Used 23kW System 10kW System
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System Cash Flow
- 120.00
- 100.00
- 80.00
- 60.00
- 40.00
- 20.00
0.00 20.00 40.00 60.00 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 Thousands of Dolars Years
Cash Flow over Time
10kW System 23kW System
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Will it be cheaper in the future?
Future Prices
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Future Prices
Earliest technology
$1800 / Watt.
Currently
$5.00 / Watt.
Future $1.00 /
Watt?
Graph from: http://www.solarbuzz.com/statsCosts.htm
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Boasts of a
breakthrough technology.
Thin film solar panels. ―Print‖ semiconductor
- nto a metal foil.
Expected to sell $1.00
/ Watt panels soon!
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1366 Technologies
Named after the amount
- f power hitting the
earth per m2.
Traditional (multi-
crystalline) panels.
Breakthrough levels of
efficiency.
Expect to sell panels for
$1.00 / Watt by 2012.
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Other Factors
Demand increases by 50% per year. Supply increases by 80% per year. Downward pressure one prices. Expect prices to fall by 1/3rd.
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What would a system be like if the costs do come down?
A future system
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Future Analysis
Cost-per-watt of solar cells reduced from $4.30 to $2.00 Solar cell efficiency grows from 15% to 20%
If we assume in 5 years: Then a 23kW system will:
Require only 81 solar panels (Down from 108) Require only 9 years to break-even From right now, it will take 14 years to pay off Waiting 5 years will save 5 years
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Payback Versus Cost per Watt
5 10 15 20 25 30 $5.00 $5.50 $6.00 $6.50 $7.00 $7.50 $8.00 $8.50 $9.00 Break Even Point (years) Cost per Watt
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What would a 20kW system be like?
Planting 1800 trees. Driving 420,000 less miles.
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Green Stewardship
Highlights ―green‖
passages.
A green bible index. ―The Green Bible sets
- ut an urgent agenda
for the Christian community.‖
—Eugene H. Peterson, professor emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College
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“You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.“
- Leviticus 19:2
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“The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
- Psalm 24:1
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What would a 20kW system be like?
Planting 1800 trees. Driving 420,000 less miles.
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Final Recommendations
1.
Decide whether this should be pursued now or later.
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Final Recommendations
1.
Decide whether this should be pursued now or later.
2.
Get 3 – 5 bids from installers.
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Payback Versus Cost per Watt
5 10 15 20 25 30 $5.00 $5.50 $6.00 $6.50 $7.00 $7.50 $8.00 $8.50 $9.00 Break Even Point (years) Cost per Watt
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Final Recommendations
1.
Decide whether this should be pursued now or later.
2.
Get 3 – 5 bids from installers.
3.
Use our tools to project payback period.
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Final Recommendations
1.
Decide whether this should be pursued now or later.
2.
Get 3 – 5 bids from installers.
3.
Use our tools to project payback period.
4.
Choose an installer.
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Final Recommendations
1.
Decide whether this should be pursued now or later.
2.
Get 3 – 5 bids from installers.
3.
Use our tools to project payback period.
4.
Choose an installer.
5.
Enjoy clean, alternative energy!
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