Lap EVR lab

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SolarLabWorksheet.docx
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Name:

SOLAR LAB –

Visit https://pvwatts.nrel.gov  

At the top where it has “get started” enter the SPC Stem Center location: 4723 Bay Pines Terrace, St. Petersburg, FL 33708 (if you want to enter your own home address later you can always play around with the website, but for this exercise we will use the SPC address)

Then hit “go” next to the address

Provide the latitude and longitude: _____________________________

Then hit the orange arrow to the right where it says “go to system info”

On the next page, you will click on the right hand side where it says “draw your system” – note, when it open the map, it will look like there is nothing there by trees/bushes – just “zoom out” and to the left you will see the STEM building – just re-center the map there.

Now, with the STEM Center in focus, design a solar panel array configuration on the rooftop – you will do this by clicking on the rooftop, and it will produce a red square. Then move to another spot, and click again – another red square will appear with a line between the two points – click again, and you will form a triangle, and once more to form a square/rectangle.

*You can also form more complex shapes by just clicking and adding more squares – once the squares are in place, you will be able to move them around by dragging them to the area you want them to be in.

Take a screen shot of what you have produced and paste it here:

Once you have done that, click “save” at the bottom of the screen on the website.

This should bring you back to the screen with “system info”

What is your DC system size? ______________

Other parameters should be set as:

Module type: standard

Array Type: Fixed (open rack)

System losses: 14.08%

Tilt: 20

Azithmuth (deg): 180

Below that, retail electricity rate setting should be rate type : commercial and .102 $/kWh

What are some reasons for system losses? (click on the blue “i” next to system losses for more info)

Look up the definition for “azimuth” - what does this mean?

Next, click on the orange arrow on the right hand side where it says “go to PVWatts results”

How many kWh did your system produce? _________

What is the expected range? _______________

What month was highest in terms of solar radiation? _______________

What month was lowest?________________

Annually, how much could the system save overall in terms of dollars? ____________

Now, solar panels as of May 2019 ranged from about .50-.70 per watt produced. And installation of solar panels is between .75 and 1.00 per watt – so for the purposes of this lab, will use the ballpark figure of $1.50 per watt installed.

Look back at your DC system size (you recorded the information above) _________

This figure is in kW (kilowatts) – convert it to watts by multiplying it by 1000 ____________

Now take that figure, and multiply it by $1.50 and the upfront cost of the system you designed including installation is __________

In terms of how much the system could save you annually (see earlier in the lab) – about how many years would it take to pay off the system? (take the total cost of the designed system and divide it by annual savings)

Based on the textbook and other references you have explored, how have costs for systems been offset which encourage more people to install solar panels?