Residential Solar Energy Applied Project
Project Proposal
Unleashing the Commercial EV Charging Market in the State of Arizona
2019
Implementing Agent: Aidan Coyle
Date: 03/19/2019
Applied Project Course Advisor: Steven Trimble
Academic Advisor: Kris Mayes
Industry Advisor: Lee Feliciano
Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION 2 II. INDUSTRY ISSUE BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION 3 III. PROBLEM STATEMENT, REQUIREMENTS AND INDUSTRY SIGNIFICANCE 3 A. PROBLEM STATEMENT 3 B. SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS 3 C. INDUSTRY SIGNIFICANCE 4 IV. SCOPE 5 V. OBJECTIVES 6 A. SOCIAL OBJECTIVE (MORE ELCTRIC VEHICLE DRIVERS) 6 B. ECONOMIC OBJECTIVES (MORE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INVESTMENT) 7 C. PSM PROGRAM COMPLETION 7 D. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 7 VI. PROJECT APPROACH PLAN 8 SUMMARY 8 PHASE 4: INITIAL WORK 8 PHASE 5: MAJOR WORK 10 PHASE 6: FINAL WORK 11 PHASE 7: FINAL DOCUMENTATION 11 VII. PROJECT SCHEDULE 12 VIII. LABOR BUDGET / ACTUALS 13 IX. RISK MITIGATION PLAN 14 X. TOP FIVE PROJECT SUCCESS FACTORS 15
I. INTRODUCTION
The applied project is the culminating event of the Professional Science Masters (P.S.M) in Solar Energy Engineering and Commercialization program at Arizona State University. The quality of the final product should be analogous to that of a typical master’s thesis. However, the accelerated nature of the program inevitably reduces the comparative labor requirement and technical expectations of this final product. Whilst seemingly a detriment to the program, it is actually a part of the program design and is an advantageous process to assist students in their transition from academia to industry.
The purpose of participation and engagement in the P.S.M program is to immerse oneself in the field of solar energy as much as possible. This range of experience varies from learning physical photovoltaic principles of P-N junctions to commercialization processes of the industry interconnected with complementary commercial and utility entities. A graduate of this program will be prepared and expected to participate as a member of this industry right away. The justification for this expectation is attributed to the project management and executive experience provided by the applied project. Most projects in the commercial world do not reach completion and those that do often experience schedule alterations and obstacles that test the capability of the project team. Thus, learning this process and experiencing the growing pains of compartmentalizing an unforeseeable future is just as important as the final deliverable.
The implementing agent of this particular project is a current student that gained valuable work experience in the field of construction document engineering for 3.5 years after graduating as a Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University in May 2014. During this time, the field of solar has continued to grow and client behavior has adjusted accordingly. Observation of this market opportunity, in conjunction with a lifelong passion and desire for participation in the solar industry, is the reason for their return to academia. The applied project is the first work assignment of a prospective solar professional.
This project proposal presents the preliminary structure of the project approach and a high-level description of project goals and deliverables. This process begins through the analysis of present industry issues and how further study illuminates a clear, concise, and yet noteworthy problem statement worth investigation. The first step towards answering or best approaching the problem statement is to compartmentalize the information and research required into individual and/or interconnected objectives. These objectives can, in turn, be divided into steps. Within the timeframe of the graduate program, these steps and milestones form the basis of a schedule that keeps the student/implementing agent to task and greater increases the probability of thorough research and a high-quality deliverable product.
The project proposal is specifically for the referential benefit of the student and the applied project advisory team. The applied project advisory team consists of the Applied Project Director and SEC 593 course professor (Dr. Steven Trimble), the academic advisor (Kris Mayes), and the industrial advisor (Lee Feliciano).
The specific target audience for the final deliverable are each of the five members of the Arizona Corporation Commission and corresponding electric vehicle stakeholders with a vested interest in the policy initiatives and action of the commission.
II. INDUSTRY ISSUE BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
According to a multitude of global information providers, with information provided by the Auto Manufacturers Alliance and the Advanced Technology Sales Dashboard, the market share of all electric vehicles is estimated to account for approximately 21% of total vehicle sales in the United States by 2025.
Presently, the Arizona Corporation Commission is hosting a number of electric vehicle stakeholder meetings to address the lack of publicly available electric vehicle charging stations required to meet the ever-increasing demand such projections entail. Although there are publications denoting charging infrastructure installation guidelines for the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas, there is little comparative analysis of the market and policy conditions needed to galvanize the commercial market specific to the state. This is the critical issue the project proposal seeks to resolve. While there are other development strategies regarding policies, subsidies, or market conditions, there is little precedent of such a study specific to the conditions of Arizona. However, these precedent studies will provide useful first and third person customer testimony, in conjunction with quantitative market data, to form the basis of existing condition assumptions for additional study.
III. PROBLEM STATEMENT, REQUIREMENTS AND INDUSTRY SIGNIFICANCE
A. PROBLEM STATEMENT
The problem statement can be summarized as follows: The present infrastructure of commercial electric vehicle charging stations is insufficient to meet present and projected demand. What market and policy conditions, specific to the state of Arizona, can be implemented to inspire utility and third-party investment in charging stations. Although not directly related, how does the propagation of charging stations benefit the commercial and residential solar industry through common sense economics without forcing an interconnection?
B. SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS
The problem statement shall be approached in the same manner as a thesis. This begins with the presentation of a hypothesis: Electric vehicle adoption rates in a commercial market can be facilitated through direct Arizona Corporation Commission policy initiatives whilst promoting the use of solar and energy storage systems. Subsequently, various location dependent policy initiatives and their resulting market effects shall be interpolated to Arizona within project specified assumptions and constraints. Thus, the solution to the problem statement must meet the following requirements:
· The utilization of first-person research data and perspective of electric vehicle owners and users to determine economic and behavioral patterns
· Prescribed assumptions and limitations regarding the scope of the project and a firm structure to minimize deviation from the scope
· Analysis of electrical billing and cost information for residential and commercial applications with and without electric vehicle charging stations for comparison
· Valid precedent research on alternative state policies and any documentable testimony regarding the logic behind their implementation
· Specific requirements for qualitative market conditions and quantitative measurables to be deemed acceptable, through presented justification, for interpolation to Arizona
· First person interviews with present industrial members to establish a list of criteria that investors look for when determining how to allocate investment funds, time and attention
· Final report structure and presentation tailored to the Arizona Corporation Commission
To meet the specific solution requirements, the academic and industrial advisors were selected for their practical insight and experience with the commission and energy investment markets, respectively. Their advice and guidance will allow for more efficient allocation of the labor budget towards areas of study more relevant to the target audience and beneficiaries without wasting time on established or irrelevant information.
The relevant experience and capabilities of the project implementing agent includes previous work experience in the field of commercial project electric design. Working in this field provided valuable experience regarding project planning, implementation management and follow up. In addition, present exposure to the interconnection of the solar and electric vehicle industries as a student intern at Ameresco allows for access to real-time industrial information.
C. INDUSTRY SIGNIFICANCE
The specific need for the project began through initial inquiry on the topic of electric vehicle charging stations with the industrial advisor. Upon deliberation, the conclusion arrived that, whilst incentives and programs greatly assist in the initial growth of an industry, continual commercial viability makes it sustainable. At the moment, there are not enough electric vehicles to justify investment in widespread charging installations by indirect beneficiaries. However, if such installations are not available then the public relations issue of range anxiety will limit the ability of the industry to expand beyond light-duty vehicles in commuter patterns. Thus, particular attention must be paid to the ancillary services the power electronic components of the stations can provide. This will justify investment until the customer pool of electric vehicles is saturated enough to where charging can form its own viable income stream.
From a policy perspective, the academic advisor stressed that the Arizona Corporation Commission is looking into this subject with great vigor and are requesting any valuable input as to what policies can be shaped within the framework of commission influence. As commercial markets are shaped within the policy world, an understanding of the correlation between policy implementation and resulting market conditions is essential to answering the problem statement. Thus, the Arizona Corporation Commission has been determined to be the most effective target audience for enacting change and, as such, are the short-term beneficiaries of the project. If effective in assisting transformation of eventual policy and market galvanization, the long-term beneficiaries of the project are electric vehicle owners, commercial investors, and, ideally, solar developers.
Accordingly, the solar industry can benefit from such a study as states with large solar infrastructure are currently experiencing issues with cutting off solar installation from grid integration (otherwise known as curtailment). This is due to an insufficient amount of load demand during periods of peak solar production and negates a major benefit of solar installation through net metering. Thus, the widespread growth of new loads, particularly during present low demand periods, will only benefit the health of the industry.
IV. SCOPE
The scope of the project is the study of existing and proposed public utility commission and state legislation initiatives in the United States. These initiatives, based on specific qualitative and measurable criteria determined through additional study, are to be analyzed for their short- and long-term effects on their respective states. Within specific condition assumptions and limitations for direct translation, these effects are to be interpolated within the existing legal framework and commercial market conditions of the state of Arizona. Such interpolated effects will be used to measure the change of behavior of electric vehicles owners and potential energy industry investors, assisted by first person testimony. This conclusory data shall be presented as a figure of financial ramifications and potential electric vehicle charger propagation figures. How proximate this figure is to projected electric vehicle purchase data will confirm how well these policy initiatives will meet the demands of the problem statement.
Additional time and research will be dedicated to how the growth of the electric vehicle charging industry benefits the solar industry without forcing a relationship between the two. This involves understanding the technical components of electric vehicle chargers by classification, size, and output. In addition, electric vehicle chargers can be viewed as storage devices when more storage is required to account for the limitations of and allow for continual increased solar penetration rates. These ancillary benefits provide additional market opportunities that will further emphasize the need for policy implementation.
The scope of research will remain strictly within the states comprising the United States with no input internationally. This is due to the number of assumptions required to interpolate alternative market structures to the United States within the time available for study. The charging station companies to be studied for behavior and financial analysis will be restricted to Arizona based companies such as EVGo, Green Machine Power, etc.
Per the Electric Power Research Institute, the vast majority of charging station installations are purchased by electric vehicle owners for domestic use. The present limited range of electric vehicles severely restricts their capability as an alternative to current cars given typical irregular driving patterns and the occasional long-distance driving of one-car households. Despite ever increasing battery capacities, even if there were additional commercial installations readily available, the psychological ramifications of adapting refuelling habits would not negate the perceived divide between a vehicle and an “electric” vehicle. According to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) National Report on Commuting Patterns and Trends, the taxonomy of automobile travel can be categorized as noted on the following page:
Figure 1: AASHTO Report on Commuting Patterns and Trends Taxonomy of Automobile Travel
As a percentage of total household travel, commuting, work-related travel and other household travel accounts for 76% of total roadway vehicle miles travelled. All three of these categories constitutes transportation to a destination where external activities will render a car parked and immobile for a particular period of time. Thus, the primary target market for charging station installations are entities that enable situations reminiscent of home charging, where a vehicle is parked for an extended period of time without compromising the perception of transportation independence and convenience to the commuter. For the sake of this applied project, the scope of the study will be aimed towards these commercial settings in lieu of public/commercial transportation and freight/goods movement travel.
V. OBJECTIVES
A. SOCIAL OBJECTIVE (MORE ELCTRIC VEHICLE DRIVERS)
The specific social objective of the proposal, if successful, is to increase the likelihood that a consumer will choose an electric vehicle. This will occur assuming stereotypical apprehensions regarding electric vehicles and driving behavior will be mitigated as a result of effective policy and infrastructure. This is extremely important as, presently, most first-world countries pay at least double at the pump compared to citizens of the United States. These fuel prices are a reflection of low gas taxes that fail to address the true social cost of driving. Thus, drivers no longer cover the cost of road / bridge maintenance nor offset the negative social impacts of driving. The health risks created by emissions and resulting climate change are not presently quantified but impact society deeply just the same.
B. ECONOMIC OBJECTIVES (MORE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INVESTMENT)
The economic objective is to frame the policy and market conditions such that charging stations can be perceived as a common-sense investment. This may come in the form of lease agreements, reminiscent of solar, that promote free installation in exchange for lower costs and the work of constant operational control. Contrarily, depending on the projected annual return, the promotion of a complete initial purchase may be justified. Regardless, the unbiased return data will illuminate the option with the highest viability. The financial predictions, under the premise of established projections, assumptions and advisor ordained information sources, will be analysed from an individual level and interpolated to a wider scale. Otherwise, there will be no guarantees of specific financial data and should not be interpreted as such.
With respect to the solar industry, the challenge will be to frame the viability of the ancillary services of energy storage and inversion within a charging station to counter the ramp rates of high demand periods. However, while this is a subject worthy of solution-oriented study, the specifics of present demand response will not be expanded upon. Rather, the effect on the load profile will be limited to projections regarding possible ramp rate alterations based on charging station propagation rates and the latest available load data for Arizona. Specific market growth profiles for solar developers and savings to relevant utility companies will be expressed qualitatively as a concept without specific pricing estimates.
C. PSM PROGRAM COMPLETION
As the embodiment of the knowledge gained during the program, one major objective is to express how exposure to the interconnection of engineering, business, and policy within the scope of the solar industry can be applied to the alternative, yet pertinently relevant field of energy storage. Thus, first and foremost, the main objective is the presentation of the report that will act as the final product and summation of the graduate program. Supplementary documentation, including the project notebook, the collection of weekly project updates and the project time logbook, will also be provided to the applied project director upon completion of the project defense. At this time, the advisory team will confirm their final approval, if so earned, through the provision of signatures on the cover page of the document. Assuming all deliverables are provided whilst meeting program specific quality standards, the student will have completed the program and will thus have graduated.
D. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Beyond the scope of the program, the final report of the project is expected to act as a free yet valuable deliverable for Arizona Corporation Commission reference as the deliberation process of electric vehicle charging infrastructure evolves into the construction of policy. The academic advisor, with pertinently relevant experience with the commission as a former head commissioner, will provide guidance into alterations to the final report required for submittal to the commission board. Additionally, the key information of the deliverable will be presented to the commission with the possibility of additional deliberation amongst individual commissioners if so requested. The possibility of continual research and study at the behest of the commission is a possibility. However, it will remain outside the scope of this proposal until confirmation.
Individually, positive personal objectives of the project include new and improved technical skills and knowledge of the electric vehicle and charging stations industry. This is of particular interest as the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education has advertised a particular opportunity for additional study of renewable transportation initiatives under the jurisdiction of the Department of Energy. As previously inferred, the viable market within the state of Arizona is the scope of study. Any jurisdictions outside of the state are to be utilized for comparative study only. However, understanding the effects of such policies with additional income-generating capacities, and greater public awareness at the community and state level will allow for easier transition to study of the regional, national or international levels. If this opportunity does not come to fruition, the project management skills and experience will translate well into a managerial engineering role notably deemed valuable by industry.
VI. PROJECT APPROACH PLAN
SUMMARY
To ensure maximum efficiency and accuracy, the implementing agent / student will employ a systematic and well-documented approach to executing the project. The agent shall adhere to the execution plan in order to deliver the assignment on-time and on-budget. However, the plan is subject to modification and revision as the project evolves over time.
As specified in the applied project handbook, the project process is divided into seven phases. The project phases, and their present status are as follows:
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Phase Number |
Phase Name |
Phase Status |
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1 |
Exploration |
Complete |
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2 |
Selecting a Topic, Advisors and Presenting at the Shark Tank |
Complete |
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3 |
Preparing the Project Proposal |
Complete |
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4 |
Initial Work |
Pending |
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5 |
Major Work |
Pending |
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6 |
Final Work |
Pending |
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7 |
Final Documentation |
Pending |
Table 1: Applied Project Phase Dictionary
As evident in Table 1, the first three project phases have already been completed and, thus, do not require additional clarification.
PHASE 4: INITIAL WORK
This initial phase is crucial for the success of a project as it is during this phase that necessary information is gathered to commence state of the art, national market study, market study translation and final target market determination. Ultimately, the completion of Phase 4 will only be satisfied once successful state and national policy initiatives have been identified and their conditions determined for translation to the Arizona market. Once completed, the process of project evolution will translate from conceptual analysis into detailed analysis.
4.1: State of the Art
· 4.1.1: Subtask 1: Identify the projections of electric vehicle market share in the United
States and Arizona
· 4.1.2: Subtask 2: Explore the existing electric vehicle charger installation guides
relevant to the state of Arizona
· 4.1.3: Subtask 3: Determine the existing state of research and topic exploration by the
Arizona Corporation Commission to build upon and ensure research is
not redundant
· 4.1.4: Subtask 4: Determine the market share of the various electric vehicle and charging
station manufacturers including their similarities and differences
4.2: National Market Study
· 4.2.1: Subtask 1: Examine existing electric vehicle charging incentives and policies in
Arizona
· 4.2.2: Subtask 2: Identify all cities with higher market shares of electric vehicle
penetration
· 4.2.3: Subtask 3: For the aforementioned cities, identify the state, city, and utility
incentives, both financial and perk related
· 4.2.4: Subtask 4: For the aforementioned locations, identify the promotion actions
4.3: Market Study Translation
· 4.3.1: Subtask 1: Based on the previous identification of state, city, and utility
incentives, both financial and perk related, determine the conditions
that made them successful and if they are translatable to a different
geographical location
· 4.3.2: Subtask 2: Based on the previous identification of state and city promotion actions
determine the conditions that made them successful and if they are
translatable to a different geographical location
· 4.3.3: Subtask 3: Determine the market conditions of the aforementioned cities and
states. Find whether or not the conditions are policy driven. If not,
determine the conditions that have allowed for a fertile marketplace
· 4.3.4: Subtask 4: Establish the project assumptions and justifications for why certain
incentives, promotions, and market conditions exist in Arizona
4.4: Final Target Market Determination
· 4.4.1: Subtask 1: Identify and explore the various subgroups of the taxonomy of
automobile travel. Establish the market opportunities of each
· 4.4.2: Subtask 2: Scale down the subgroups of the taxonomy of automobile travel to the
option(s) with the best opportunity. Justify this determination
· 4.4.3: Subtask 3: Identify and explore the various commercial businesses that provide
the best opportunity as well as those could benefit the most
· 4.4.4: Subtask 4: Scale down the various commercial businesses to the option(s) with the
best opportunity. Justify this determination
PHASE 5: MAJOR WORK
The major work of the project is where the conceptual study and advisor input is used to transform the schematic outline of existing policy examples to a location specific plan. In addition, the technical aspect of electric vehicles and their corresponding charging stations are deconstructed and explored in relation to these policies.
5.1: Technical Schematic Analysis
· 5.1.1: Subtask 1: Based on the study of the various electric vehicle and charging
station manufacturers, identify the components and their capabilities
· 5.1.2: Subtask 2: Based on the study of the various electric vehicle and charging
station manufacturers, explore each classification of charger for the
logic behind their current implementation and their viability
· 5.1.3: Subtask 3: Based on the study of the various electric vehicle and charging
station manufacturers, quantify the major performance characteristics
and conclude which classification best fits the target market entity
5.2: Ancillary Service Determination
· 5.2.1: Subtask 1: Based on the identification of electric components, determine which
components have the greatest potential for utilization as an ancillary
service. Consult industry contacts for additional insight
· 5.2.2: Subtask 2: Explore the commercial viability of energy storage as an ancillary
service based on the classification best corresponding to the target
market entity. Determine the minimum quantity of chargers needed
· 5.2.3: Subtask 3: Explore the commercial viability of smart inverters as ancillary
services based on the classification best corresponding to the target
market entity. Determine the minimum quantity of chargers needed
· 5.2.4: Subtask 4: Explore the commercial viability of any other power electronic
components. If yes, follow the same procedure as Subtask 2 and 3
5.3: Policy/Service Interconnection
· 5.3.1: Subtask 1: Determine if the previously determined successful policies suit the
ancillary service or if they are limited to charging services only
· 5.3.2: Subtask 2: Explore policies related to the established ancillary services and their
resulting effects on the commercial market. Determine if there is an
possible interconnection with charging station specific policies
· 5.3.3: Subtask 3: Based on the two previous studies, determine which service has the
correlation of policy-based market success. Explore which entity in the
energy service industry will benefit the most from their introduction
5.4: Market Entity Consultation
· 5.4.1: Subtask 1: Contact and interview relevant, existing market participants for
perspective on the present state of the market in Arizona and where
PHASE 6: FINAL WORK
The final work of the report constitutes the culmination of the individual studies towards the single demographic of Arizona. In addition, the quality of the work is subject to rigorous review for every critical juncture, including analysis of all previous advisor progress reports.
6.1: Market/Policy Interconnection
· 6.1.1: Subtask 1: Based on the market entity consultation and resulting study, explore
the connection between the policy/service interconnection and the
thriving market conditions. Consult with the industry advisor and
contacts for continual feedback and insight
· 6.1.2: Subtask 2: Draft the necessary policy initiatives to a format consistent with the
language and framework of Corporation Commission influence
6.2: Future Projections
· 6.2.1: Subtask 1: Project how the combination of the policy and resulting market effects
will correlate to the growth of charger installations
· 6.2.2: Subtask 2: Based on the available information, formulate a conclusion regarding
how well the study has met the challenge of the problem statement
PHASE 7: FINAL DOCUMENTATION
The final documentation section is dedicated to the drafting of the final report for program graduation consideration as well as any other deliverables established for project completion. All the information acquired over the course of the project is to be collected. This includes completion of the log sheet and the various worksheets for phase close-out per the project workbook. Lastly, the student is to prepare for the applied project defense.
7.1: Final Report Draft
· 7.1.1: Subtask 1: Draft the final report per the required structure as found in the applied
project notebook. This is final deliverable for the P.S.M program
· 7.1.2: Subtask 2: Draft the final report per the required structure as specified by the
academic advisor for the target audience of the Arizona Corporation
Commission. This is the final deliverable for submittal
· 7.1.3: Subtask 3: Schedule and prepare for the applied project defense
7.2: Future Plans
· 7.2.1: Subtask 1: Emphasize the assumptions utilized throughout the project and how
they framed the results of the study
· 7.2.2: Subtask 2: Schedule and prepare for the presentation of the applied project data to
the Arizona Corporation Commission. Coordinate with the academic
advisor regarding required updates to the written deliverable
· 7.2.3: Subtask 3: Frame a plan for future study under the assumption that the work is to
be performed by someone other than the implementing agent.
VII. PROJECT SCHEDULE
Below is the present iteration of the project schedule in the form of a Gantt chart corresponding to completed project phases, phases yet to reach completion, and major milestones.
Defense
Today
Slipped
Not Started
Incomplete
Complete
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Days |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
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Review 1 |
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Schedule Defense Date |
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Phase 1 |
76 |
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Review 2 |
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Phase 2 |
100 |
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Phase 3 |
21 |
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Draft Final Report |
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Phase 4 |
31 |
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4.1 |
14 |
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4.2 |
14 |
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4.3 |
14 |
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4.4 |
7 |
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Phase 5 |
61 |
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5.1 |
14 |
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5.2 |
21 |
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5.3 |
28 |
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5.4 |
7 |
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Phase 6 |
30 |
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6.1 |
14 |
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6.2 |
30 |
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Phase 7 |
31 |
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7.1 |
31 |
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7.2 |
21 |
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Figure 2: Applied Project Gantt Chart Project Schedule
The project schedule is subject to revision dependent upon real time life and scholastic events. In addition, as each phase is subject to continual monitoring by the advisor team via progress reports, if additional time is required to satisfy phase completion deliverables to the quality determined by the advisory team, the implementing agent will have to adjust accordingly.
VIII. LABOR BUDGET / ACTUALS
Further clarification of the project schedule is provided in the form of an iterative and cumulative labor budget. To summarize, the real, recorded time expenditures gathered from the months prior to this proposal and the minimum time commitments specified by the implementing agent are contrasted with the minimum labor budget as recommended by the applied project notebook.
Per the applied project notebook, the minimum cumulative hours recommended to satisfy the quality requirements of the project deliverable and project management documentation is 175 hours. At the beginning of March, when this proposal is to be delivered to the advisory team, as well as the applied project director, the recommended cumulative hours to this point should be no less than 74 hours. Prior to the month of December, the implementing agent had fallen behind schedule during the process of finalizing a project theme and the eventual minimization and optimization of the scope. However, upon the initiation of an internship opportunity at a solar engineering, procurement and construction company. Thus far, the internship has required detailed study into the applications and market potential of smart inverters and energy storage. As such, the amount of time dedicated to researching topics strongly relevant to the ancillary services aspect of the project has allowed for the implementing agent to catch up to the recommended schedule. However, research has better clarified the amount of work required to produce the desired deliverable quality and, thus, a total of 224 hours has been scheduled in lieu of the recommended 175.
The iterative and cumulative projected labor budget figures are as follows:
Figure 4: Microsoft Excel Applied Project Real/Recommended Cumulative Labor Budget
Figure 5: Microsoft Excel Applied Project Real/Projected Cumulative Labor Budget
IX. RISK MITIGATION PLAN
Risk 1: Lack of Communication and Transparency between the Student and the Advisory Team
Proposed Solution:
Upon the transaction of this project proposal, all actions performed for the purpose of meeting project phase tasks and deliverables are to be accumulated, formatted and summarized per the progress report structure of the applied project notebook. These progress reports are to be delivered, at a minimum, once every two weeks at an attachment to an e-mail chain. The chain will allow for easier access to previous correspondence and as documented justification of key project decisions. This email chain is to be compiled as a portion of the applied project notebook upon final delivery.
The requested amount of time for an appropriate response by the advisory team shall be clearly denoted in the e-mail. These emails, in addition to telephone and person interaction, shall serve as the primary proposed mechanism for the monitoring of project operations, ensuring that activities occur as planned and that such operations remain directed towards the stated objectives. If one or more of the advisors expressed any form of discontent or dissatisfaction with particular work components or the direction of the project, an organized set of procedures shall be agreed upon and that appropriate corrective action is taken if required.
Risk 2: Student Schedule Conflicts between School and Internship
Proposed Solution:
Whilst to the advantage of the impeding agent thus far, the time constraints of a student worker do not allot an overwhelming amount of time flexibility to account for an investigative study of a relatively novel field and the iterative process of project management. Luckily, the firm of employment for the implementing agent has experience with interns in the P.S.M program and have hired many alumni as a part of their work force. The work superior of the agent has expressed great sympathy and willingness to adapt the work schedule around the needs of the applied project as well as any additional coursework. The time allocated per the project schedule and the labor budget presently assumes that no additional days off will be required to meet the project. However, having this capability greatly reduces any possible anxiety regarding scheduling difficulty.
Risk 3: Staying Within Scope and Meeting the Requirements of the Advisors and Stakeholders
Proposed Solution:
This type of project is dependent on continual evolution that requires the refinement of scope as additional subject information is acquired. For instance, as stakeholders’ interests become more apparent, the scope of research is further refined into the policies and market conditions that best suit the propagation of outcomes related to that field. However, the scope of the project cannot continue to deviate with every new piece of information as doing so will reduce the capability of thorough, refined research and analysis. Following the time allotments per project phase will keep the student to task on where the project should be. Any new information acquired can be mentioned as a subject for additional study or as a limitation of the work done thus far.
X. TOP FIVE PROJECT SUCCESS FACTORS
The proposal provides a structure to ease the scheduling process of the project for the student. In addition, the form acts as a reference for the advisory team to keep the student on task. However, all of this planning will not prove beneficial without a number of key success factors unique to the implementing agency, the project team, and the worthiness of the project premise. These factors are as follows:
1. Great Passion for the Interconnection of Solar and Electric Vehicles
2. An Opportunity to Work on a Project with True Merit and Potential for Positive Change
3. An Expert Team with Network of Industry Resources
4. Daily Saturation of Solar Information at Work/School Allowing for Continual Growth
5. Understanding of the Project as an Audition and Introduction as a Solar Professional
Cumulative Real/Recommended Labor Budget
Cumulative Recommended Hours
September October November December January February March April May June July 8 16 31 45 59 74 89 104 139 159 175 Cumulative Budgeted Hours
September October November December January February March April May June July 8 16 31 45 59 74 101 128 160 192 224
Cumulative Real/Projected Labor Budget
Cumulative Budgeted Hours
September October November December January February March April May June July 8 16 31 45 59 74 101 128 160 192 224 Cumulative Real/ Projected Hours
September October November December January February March April May June July 8 13 23 31 48 88 114 140 166 192 224
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