Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Union County Solar Energy Awareness, Amanda Pennett

Student Project Reports

No abstract provided.

Our Energy Future, Fall/Winter 2007, Issue 15

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.

Renewable Energy, Fall/Winter 2011, Issue 23

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.

The Most Environmentally Beneficial Option: An Analysis On Spower’S Solar Project In Relation To The Endangered Species Act, Victoria Williams

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Today, the current impacts of high greenhouse gas emissions due to energy production have been widely discussed in scholarly literature. In 2018, the University of Richmond (UR) announced a goal to match 100% of the campus' electricity demand with solar energy to decrease its carbon footprint. UR partnered with sPower to construct a 500-megawatt solar array in which UR will receive the 20-megawatts worth of energy from the site in Spotsylvania, Virginia. sPower’s solar project engendered various environmental concerns surrounding Fawn Lake and the endangered species found in the proximity of the project. Acknowledging the environmental concerns, the objective of …

Spotsylvania Solar Farm: Watershed Environmental Analysis: Material And Chemical Impacts, Colby Prokop

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The purpose of this compiled review is to answer the research question: What are the implications of the materials being used in the Spotsylvania sPower solar farm and the impacts of any contributing chemicals? I will approach this question using a theoretical framework to investigate the public participation (PP) process (Munch-Petersen, 2017) in the preliminary environmental analysis research done by sPower (in accordance with their special use permit [SUP]). This will be a context-specific framework, in which I will navigate the discrepancies between the environmental SUP information and citizen concerns about the chemicals and materials used in the sPower solar …

Incorporating Community Solar At The University Of Richmond To Reach Sustainability Goals, Maribel Sabino

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

An analysis of the scale pertaining to sustainability efforts by the University of Richmond concerning the solar farm in Spotsylvania and alternative solar options is imperative to understanding and encouraging sustainability at the University of Richmond. Solar energy as a renewable energy has high potential to help institutions of higher education reach sustainability goals. Considering solar power at various scales will help understand if solar is a viable option to reach these goals. This project examines community solar under a lens of sustainability as a potential contender to meeting the sustainability and carbon neutrality goals of the University of Richmond. …

Understanding The Stake Of The Government And Government Officials In The Spotsylvania Solar Farm Project, Haley Neuenfeldt

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The Spotsylvania Solar Farm Project is a proposal to build a 500 megawatt solar farm in Livingston in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. The project is managed by Spower with various investors such as Dominion, the University of Richmond, Microsoft, Apple, Etsy, Swiss-Re, and Akamai. However, there are many stakeholders outside of the main investment groups. These stakeholders include the citizens in Spotsylvania where the solar farm will be located, climate activists advocating for increased renewable energy usage, and local, state, and federal government representatives. Across the scale of government representatives, there have been initiatives to increase, decrease, and regulate solar power …

The Current And Future Land Assessment Analysis And Property Taxes Analysis Of The Land Of Proposed Solar Farm In Spotsylvania County, Evelyn Jeong

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Anthropogenic global climate change is threatening our planet. Human energy demand and consumption has been rapidly increasing throughout the world. In order to combat global climate change from greenhouse gases emissions, increase in renewable energy development is crucial. Solar energy is one of the fastest growing renewable energy source in the world and in the United States. In Spotsylvania County, Virginia, a solar energy company called sPower proposed one of the biggest solar farms in the East Coast. Because of the size, scale, economic viability, environmental concerns, and more, there has been push back from the concerned citizens of the …

Beyond The Site: An Analysis Of The Perceived Economic Impact To The Spotsylvania Community, Kate Wickersham

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

New solar farm development can bring support and opposition as evident by the planned sPower solar farm in Spotsylvania county, Virginia. Of significant concern for such development is the economic impacts to the local and county level including real estate values, tax revenue and general project feasibility. In an analysis of the economic impacts, primary and secondary research included outlining the arguments presented by the two opposing sides; the Concerned Citizens of Spotsylvania County and sPower. Research further included an analysis of the projected change in real estate values the nearby Fawn Lake residential development. The real estate analysis concluded …

Spotsylvania Solar: A Stakeholder Analysis Of Corporate Involvement, Merissa Shebell

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

This report investigates the major corporations that hold a stake in sPower’s 500-Megawatt Spotsylvania Solar Project through the framework of corporate social responsibility. The major corporations include the investors in the project, Microsoft, Apple in collaboration with Akamai, Etsy, and Swiss Re, and the University of Richmond, as well as the energy provides and distributors, Dominion Energy and PJM Interconnection. Through an evaluation of the investors’ sustainability and environmental reports, the motivations behind their agreements with sPower can be attributed to a desire to meet their renewable energy goals. By purchasing a portion of the electricity generated by the solar …

Solar Energy For The Soul: Solving America’S Fuel Poverty Problem With Solar Panels For The Poor, Samantha St. Marie

Honors Theses

In the United States today, at least 14 million Americans live in fuel poverty. These Americans spend at least ten percent of household income on energy costs ranging from fuel to electricity. The purpose of this thesis is to identify an innovative solution to mitigate the effects of the energy affordability crisis in the United States. After examining national trends and researching localized efforts, I determined that solar panels may be able to support the modern energy needs of the fuel poor. The study uses a least squares regression model with fixed effects to determine factors influencing solar adoption at …

Solar Energy On Farmland, Eden Martin

Student Policy Briefs

The large-scale use of agriculture and land alteration has caused the concentrations of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere to rise in the last 250 years (Janke, 2010). The majority of greenhouse gas emissions is caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are a threat when it comes to the health of our planet but they are also abundant and affordable (Janke, 2010). This threat has caused many to start exploring the use of alternative energy sources that are renewable; solar technology, wind power, geothermal, and ocean energy (Janke, 2010). According to Rebecca Hernandez, “solar energy has one of …

Maine's State Policy For Solar Farms On Agricultural Land., Elliot James Lee

Student Policy Briefs

A change is coming to the Northeast, and Maine is not prepared to handle it. Across the Northeast, agricultural land is being converted to solar farms, with no policy in place to handle it. Opening Maine up to numerous problems with, permitting, regulations, taxes, best management practices, size of these farms, and lack of infrastructure to name a few. All of which need to be addressed, while dealing with the general instability of policies surrounding green energy and green technology like solar panels. This change is coming quickly, and although we need this policy soon, it cannot be rushed, or …

Solar Energy On The Farm, Kate Mccarty

Student Policy Briefs

Solar energy production accounts for less than one percent of energy produced in Maine, but nonetheless, the number of agricultural solar projects in the state is growing (ix, xi). While Maine currently lacks policies that encourage solar installations, such as tax credits and rebates, the next state administration could implement such policies, further resulting in an increase in the number of solar projects. The installation of commercial-scale solar projects is particularly attractive to farmers as it offers diversified income that protects against the unpredictable nature of farming. The Maine Legislature should consider adopting policies around the use of large-scale solar …

Solar Farms On Agricultural Land, Rebecca Pratt

Student Policy Briefs

With farmers today facing economic hardship, many are looking for alternative sources of income. A recent trend has farmers considering turning their agriculture fields into solar farms. While there is a global push for more renewal energy, using agricultural lands to accomplish this goal is being widely debated. The opposition argues that the solar farms may come with unintended consequences including economic, environmental and even social problems (Tromans and Jackson, 2015). One of the most pressing questions is who, if anyone, should regulate the development of solar farms. Currently, there is no legislation in Maine regulating the installation of solar …

University Of Richmond Sustainability Report, Robert Andrejewski

Reports

The 2016 University of Richmond Sustainability Report represents where we are now, recognizes significant accomplishments, and provides a launching point for future endeavors. We all have a role to play in the continued stewardship of this great place.

This document presents a summary of the data we collected. It serves the dual role of providing information on the considerable sustainability efforts underway and establishes a benchmark for our efforts as we move forward. There is much to be celebrated, and there is much to be done.

Opportunities For Conversion To More Sustainable Practices By Houses Of Worship Through Team Performance Enhancing Strategies That Include Leadership With Facilitative Skills, Carolina Del Carmen Saiz

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This research focused on assessing the performance of teams of volunteers in Houses of Worship (HOWs) in the State of Massachusetts that are successfully planning, advancing and completing sustainable initiatives. The sustainable initiatives included solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, city public parks cleaning projects, efficient windows installations, efficient lighting fixtures installations, and building insulation improvements. The goal of this research was to assess the dynamics of a total of eight successful teams, including the relationships among team members and their leaders with facilitative skills that they perceived were instrumental to their effective and efficient performance. The role of team leadership was …

Energy Sustainability: The Case Of Photovoltaics, Abram Walden Kaplan

Honors Papers

In this thesis I will address three large issues related to the development of this solar electric technology: First, I wish to demonstrate that photovoltaics offer significant advantages over traditional, nonrenewable energy sources- that they are superior to the technologies now used. Part I thus consists of a comparative analysis of coal-fired power plants, nuclear fission plants, and photovoltaics. These are widely seen as the most likely options in American electricity generation. Each of these energy systems will be discussed along the following four dimensions: geology and natural limits (i.e., resource availability and waste management); technology (plant efficiencies and the …