Amanda Farthing
Can Community Solar Initiatives Make an Impact?
-
Project Proposal
How can solar developments change a community? For my project, I intend to develop and distribute a survey in the Santiago Metropolitan Region to identify influential variables in residents’ interest in participating in community solar initiatives. By conducting interviews with a small sample size of homeowners from various neighborhoods, employees of solar companies, and energy experts within PUC I will be able to facilitate the formulation of survey questions and response categories.
In developing a mathematical framework based on survey results, which identifies priority sites for community solar developments, I will further my research in determining the effectiveness of the use of solar initiatives. This spatially-applied model would take as input social, economic, and physical (e.g. roofspace) variables, and output a surface map of suitability for specific forms of community solar developments. Such a tool could be used in conjunction with technical considerations to facilitate the planning and site-identification portions of a community solar initiative.
I also intend on creating a visually appealing infographic to address identified misconceptions of community solar and to convey the varying options for residents considering participating in a local solar project. This one-page document would allow me to reconnect my study to the people it is intended to benefit: linking the theoretical to the practical to convey my research findings in a way that is relevant to local Chileans.
As opposed to residential solar in general, my efforts have focused on community solar: a development model in which multiple people subscribe to a local installation. This business model is nascent in Chile and could provide a means for large portions of the population to partake in a growing solar market. This survey will be used to quantify respondents’ willingness to participate in local solar initiatives, to reveal which variables (e.g., level of trust, income, home type) can best explain differences in this willingness, and to allow us to recommend program designs that best align with consumer preferences. As originally proposed, I have also conducted interviews with community and energy-related organizations to inform the development of the survey questions and to solicit support in the distribution of our survey.
Final Report
Professionally, the Fulbright experience has strengthened my ability to plan and implement a research project in a set amount of time, while collaborating with partners and learning entirely new material along the way. Conducting informational interviews and soliciting help and feedback in Spanish was one of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of the experience, which will, I hope, continue to be useful throughout subsequent careers.
-
Proposal:
-
-
