Testing and Comparing the Viability of Different Hypothetical PV Systems on School Campuses

Abstract

The world’s reliance on fossil fuels and constant need for increased energy expenditure and electricity will strain these finite resources and continue to cause the release of megatons of greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide into the atmosphere (Shahzad, 2015). The prospect of renewable energy and its capabilities must not be underlooked. Research into renewable energy must continue to develop to reduce our impact on the environment and create a permanent solution to a growing energy problem across the globe. Renewable energy can be especially effective when it comes to schools, which data has shown as one of the top consumers of electricity in the commercial sectors. The integration of renewable energy systems on campuses can also allow for first-hand experience with renewable technology and a more comprehensive exploration of sustainable engineering for attending students. To the extent of our knowledge, there has not been a concerted effort to provide renewable energy for high school campus needs, nor is there enough data on the effectiveness and viability of hypothetical PV and renewable energy systems on campus. This project used case studies in addition to data collected from John Burroughs school and online sources such as Science Direct and Ebsco Discovery Service to create accurate representations and projections for current and possible photovoltaic systems on campus while comparing the results in the process. The project results were data and trials to help further look into the effectiveness of renewable energy systems on school campuses. Through this project, I hope to have shown the possible potency of renewable energy in schools. Other schools can utilize this project as an incentive to delve into implementing PV systems on their campuses, possibly even using the data and inputs from this paper as a baseline to model their systems.