Matthew Taylor

Abstract:

As our population grows and the climate continues warming, the need for renewable energy becomes more and more apparent. In this project, I look at specific areas in the United States that have a presence of both wind and solar farms, and compare them to maps of solar irradiance and average wind speeds using ArcGIS and NOAA. Using this data, I calculate the farms’ possible MW output per acreage to determine if one type of farm would be more efficient than another in these specific areas.