This chapter collects information in the form of online survey, telephonic interviews and explores its results for making conclusions. The chapter is divided in following parts as survey preliminary information, purpose of survey data, identification of survey data, survey with flowchart, execution of survey, study of survey results and discussion of Interviews and email conversations.
4.1.1 Survey preliminary information:
An online survey is created, using University of Washington WebQ catalyst web tools. Surveys were sent as an email link to respondents from various public schools, for web based survey. Respondents for the voluntary questionnaire are public schools from within the state of Washington. The survey is posted as an anonymous survey. The Survey responses were posted on the catalyst website for analysis and interpretation of results. Data from these responses in the survey were analyzed and organized by the catalyst WebQ tool and Microsoft office Excel product.
4.1.2 Purpose of survey data:
The survey title states, “Cost and Benefit analysis of Solar Photovoltaic system in Public schools (Washington State)” differs from Thesis title, “Analysis of Life cycle costs and social acceptance of solar photovoltaic project with public schools in state of Washington”. The essential purpose of data collection, as explained in preceding chapters is to weigh, the costs associated with solar photovoltaic system, determine monetary savings and social with educational benefits, offered by the PV system. Monetary savings can be
measured in statistical terms while social with educational benefits cannot be measured in statistical terms. The LCCA performed displays the statistical measurement while Survey displays the non-statistical measurement, of the PV system.
Solar PV
4.1.3 Identification of survey data:
Twenty-six (26) public schools were contacted and identified as schools with solar photovoltaic system installation. These twenty-six (26) public schools choose to fill the survey. Of the identified schools, nineteen (19) schools essentially filled the survey. From the nineteen (19) schools, two (2) schools filled the survey twice and one school is a private school. Finally, analysis of survey data is made from seventeen (17) schools, from state of Washington. Out of these seventeen (17) surveys, seven (7) surveys represented PV projects for conservation of energy while, ten (10) surveys represented demonstration projects.
The questionnaire is divided in two (2) parts and consists of total forty-eight (48) questions. The survey begins with the determination of PV project as either for
conservation of energy, with thirty-one (31) questions or as a demonstration project with nineteen (19) questions. The original questionnaire had forty (40) questions. Some of the public schools were unable to specify the details required in the questionnaire.
Understanding there difficulty primarily dual sided as, either lack of time or inconvenience in finding the relevant data, the questionnaire format was changed slightly. An effort is made for survey participants, at the minimum to at least specify a range of values.
4.1.4 Survey with flowchart:
The survey questionnaire can be viewed in its entirety as Appendix C of this report. The questionnaire uses the concept of “skip logic” to direct the respondent, based on earlier answer. The second question determines the major skip logic decision. A simple flowchart is shown in Figure 27. Based on this choice, the respondents are then directed to question (a) category or question (b) category, as shown in the flowchart. The questions in
category (a) relates to PV system installation as demonstration project while questions in category (b) relates to PV system installation as conservation of energy.
Solar PV Although all twenty-six (26) schools were expected to participate in the survey, the
seventeen (17) respondents who contributed provided abundant information, to draw desired conclusions of PV system, for the LCCA and as demonstration project.
Figure 27 Survey flowchart with Skip logic concept 4.1.5 Execution of survey:
The online survey was available to respondents from afternoon of June 24th 2011. The
survey questions were slightly modified and available from November 20th 2011 and
closed to respondents from afternoon of February 28th 2012. The execution date for online
survey is June 2011. This time frame essentially is the closing period of current academic school year, start of summer vacation period and beginning of new academic school year, posed some delay in receiving initial responses. However, this also allowed sufficient time frame for respondents to fill out the survey, during their convenient time. Results were stored by University of Washington catalyst tool with arbitrarily assigned identification number for each respondent.
Name of school (All participants)
Identification of project as (a) Demonstration / (b) Conservation of energy
Questions for a) Questions for b)
Solar PV
4.1.6 Study of survey results
As stated in section 4.1.3, the responses from seventeen (17) schools and skip logic decision explained in section 4.1.4, the responses were classified in two major sections. The major sections were identification of PV project as demonstration project or for conservation of energy, necessarily conservation of electricity through photovoltaic installation. This section discusses and studies responses for forty-eight (48) questions involved in the survey. The survey questionnaire with its responses from each of its individual schools can be viewed as Appendix E of this report.
Being anonymous, the only required respondent identification is name of the school, where PV project has been installed. The next question requested information for
identification of project as either demonstration project or for conservation of energy. Of the seventeen (17) received responses, ten (10) schools have installed PV system as demonstration projects while remaining seven (7) schools have installed PV system for conservation of energy, as shown in the pie-chart, in Figure 28. This clearly identifies, that public schools representing 59% are more interested to install PV systems for
demonstration purposes. This also recognizes shortage of funds, extensive payback periods, high cost of solar panels, and lack of space as primary concerns in their year of installation, for a specific public school.
Figure 28 Type of PV projects
Demonstration projects 59% Projects for conservation of energy 41%
Type of PV projects
84Solar PV
Installation year and Size of system:
Overall, during the last decade, there has been considerable increase in the installation of solar PV system, amongst public schools, in state of Washington. With more utility
companies taking the initiative to sponsor solar projects as demonstration projects and with availability of state, school funds, public schools are very eager to incorporate the solar projects, on their campus. This can be visualized from the following pie-chart in Figure 29.
Figure 29 (%) installations per year
Size of solar projects analyzed from survey responses include, demonstration solar projects from one (1) KW system to 3.5 KW systems. These projects were available as grant from utility companies like Puget Sound energy, Bonneville Environmental
Foundation, Seattle public utilities and Seattle City Light, as a part of their renewable energy program. The solar projects installed explicitly for conservation of energy, range from 4.0KW system to 40KW PV system.
Type of solar panels installed:
Of the various solar panels available in the solar market, the most prominently used panels on solar projects at public schools in state of Washington comprise, the Poly
2000 6% 2001 0% 2002 6% 2003 12% 2004 12% 2005 0% 2006 12% 2007 17% 2008 6% 2009 17% 2010 6% 2011 6%