Solar Farm Cost-Benefit Analysis
Solar panel farms produce energy, but require large amounts of land.Copyright 2015 Kanadaurlauber, Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:San-Carlos-Solar-Energy-I-SaCaSol-I_Full-Area_1.jpg
A cost-benefit analysis is a good way to weigh the costs and the benefits and compare them to see if the decisions being made are sound and worthwhile. For a hypothetical solar farm design problem, students are given a solar cost-benefit analysis sheet to complete within groups. They weigh the expense and benefits of two types of solar panels (with different costs, wattage outputs and land impacts), consider the cost of using the acreage for solar (which removes it from ranching use), and explain why they consider the panel combination they propose to be best. If the costs outweigh the benefits, then a project is not worth doing. On the other hand, if the benefits outweigh the costs, then it is worth implementing the plan.
Over the years, various types of energy resources have been exploited to produce more electrical power for the increasing amount of people and electricity demand. In the beginning stages of product development, engineers use cost-benefit analyses to determine product viability. Mechanical engineers use cost-benefit analyses to make decisions about bringing to market new car designs by analyzing the production costs and whether people would buy them. Other engineers use cost-benefit analyses to make project decisions, such as whether the added expense of hiring three more people to produce code is justified by the gained work and its value to the project.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Complete a cost-benefit analysis of a product or system.
- Analyze the costs and benefits of solar farms.
- Explain the consequences of solar farms on large plots of land.