Overview of Final Project(SEC/MAE/EEE 598)

February 10, 2014

Basic Idea

The project is a concluding exercise (in lieu of a final exam) for this course

o Team Environment o Topic of your choosing, but related to Solar

Commercializationo Written reporto Poster Session

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Value to participants

The main purpose of a final project is to allow you participants to apply the material you have learned in this course in a realistic and practical manner. You will get an opportunity to work in a small team environment (teams of two), to define and explore a solar commercialization topic of interest to you, and to present your research/results to your classmates and the instructors

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Choice of Project Topic

• It may be a substantially technical report:• Failure mechanisms in PV modules• Strategies for PV system salvaging• Reliability of tracking systems for CSP use• Strategies to reduce BOS costs• Comparison of 600V vs 1000V PV systems• Comparison of silicon vs non-silicon module systems

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Choice of Project Topic

• It may be a substantially economic (or business) report:

• Life cycle cost analysis of residential, or commercial, or utility scale solar projects

• Starting up a solar module assembly plant• Evaluation of impact of federal and/or state incentives• Comparison of solar energy funding models• Comparison of PV deployment in states with PACE

legislation vs those without

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Choice of Project Topic

• It may be essentially a policy report:• Strategies to bring the “Million PV Rooftop”

enterprise to all states• Evaluation of impact of federal and/or state incentives• Comparison of solar energy funding models• Evaluation of obstacles to the expansion of solar

energy in Arizona, or the US

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Choice of Project Topic

• It may be connected to another project• If you are a PSM-SEEC student, you may use this

project as an adjunct to your required Applied Project• If you are thinking of starting your own company,

perhaps you can connect this to an entrepreneurial effort like the Edson Initiative

• If you work for a Solar Company, the project could be an extension of a work project – assuming all the appropriate permissions can be worked out

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Project Deliverables• Team formation – Dr. Trimble and I would like to receive

an informal memo telling us the team composition and project topic

• Progress – at the beginning of April, we would like to receive a brief progress report. Let us know about advances, changes, obstacles, whatever

• Final Report – a professional document describing the project, its motivation, its development, with analysis, conclusions, references, etc.

• Poster – on final exam day, we celebrate your hard work with a poster session in the classroom, where you present your results, examine your classmates’ projects, etc.

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