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Solar energy

Theses/Dissertations

Environmental Studies

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Solar Energy For The Soul: Solving America’S Fuel Poverty Problem With Solar Panels For The Poor, Samantha St. Marie Jun 2018

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 …


Energy Sustainability: The Case Of Photovoltaics, Abram Walden Kaplan Jan 1985

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 …