Project Details

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Designing Solar Systems for Specific Customer Needs - Team 1

Company: Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering

Major(s):
Primary: EGEE
Secondary: EE
Optional: MATSE, ME

Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO

Intellectual Property: NO

The project will involve a site visit to inspect or assess the suitability of the construction site (rooftop) identified by the customer for solar installation (i.e. site analysis for the prospective solar PV installations). The student team will have the unique opportunity to apply relevant solar skills/knowledge and use leading industry tools/software (HelioScope, Aurora Solar & System Advisor Model) to enable successful solar system design. The team will come up with a development plan for the project, assessing records, site plans, and other maps/documents that clarify which jurisdiction has authority over land development on a site. The team will also assess what forms of development are allowed in this zoning district or determine whether special or conditional use permits or re-zoning is required. The team will also perform a financial analysis of the project considering federal tax incentives (credits and accelerated depreciation) available for solar PV and other renewable projects. Desired deliverables: Final report and oral presentation explaining the conceptual design, development plan, and financial analysis.

 
 

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The Learning Factory is the maker space for Penn State’s College of Engineering. We support the capstone engineering design course, a variety of other students projects, and provide a university-industry partnership where student design projects benefit real-world clients.

The Learning Factory

The Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA 16802