A Systems Methodology for Informed Solar Energy Decision-Making

Solar technology for buildings has flourished in recent years. The technology is becoming more popular in both the residential and commercial sectors. The process of purchasing solar is often complicated by different proposals from companies that cannot be directly compared. Changing government incentives, multiple financial models, the 25 year panel lifecycle, quickly changing technologies, structural limitations and diverse stakeholder motives make comparing proposals difficult. Presented through a case study of a non-profit in Charlottesville, Virginia, we propose a systems methodology for navigating this complicated landscape. This methodology involves working with stakeholders in the project to establish main objectives, identify current limitations, determine key decisions, and interpret metrics to measure success of a commercial solar project. These objectives, limitations, and decisions are used with financial and electricity models that we created to evaluate different metrics. Results from the models allow for direct comparison of different company proposals and system sizes.