1. Solar Trees in San Francisco
Step 2: Identify the problem- find the best location for a solar farm in San Francisco
Step 3: Define Opportunities
Step 2: Identify the problem- find the best location for a solar farm in San Francisco
Solar Trees in San Francisco
Stanley Wu and Nisha Parikh
Section 101 and 107
Method
Results: The Ideal Location
Highest Suitability Score: 7
No constraints, all opportunities
Introduction
The use of fossil fuels to produce energy is a resource intensive process that generates a great deal of waste and pollution. Utilizing renewable sources of energy is instead more sustainable. In particular, solar energy is one of many types of renewable energy that is underutilized. Use of such energy can reduce air pollution, increase public health, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate climate change.
Bad Good
Step 1: Define the Problem
Find the best location for a solar farm in San Francisco, CA
Available Land
High Pop. Dens.
Southern Aspect
Solar Radiation
Step 2: Define the Opportunities
Liquefaction and Streets
Canopy Cover
Crime
Conclusion
Best place to put a solar tree is in the Financial District
The solar trees will make the area more atheistically pleasing
It will serve an economic benefit for the businesses and the City of San Francisco in reduced energy costs to keep areas well light
Extra energy generated can be used by companies to power their office buildings
Step 3: Define the Constraints
Aim
The main aim of this project is to find the optimum location for solar trees in the city of San Francisco. As a densely populated urban area, space and resources are limited. For this reason, a suitability analysis was performed to determine the best location for the solar trees. Solar trees combine form and function as they generate renewable energy. They use space efficiently, and the energy produced from solar trees can be used to light streets. Installation of solar trees will help San Francisco reduce its carbon footprint and pollution generated by the use of fossil fuels. It will help other regions in California as well as polluted air from the bay area is transported to other regions-like the central valley- that end up bearing a disproportionate amount of the environmental burden.
Step 4: Perform Suitability Analysis
Acknowledgements
Source: US Geological Survey, US Census Bureau and San Francisco City and County Enterprise GIS program
Projection: State Plane Coordinate System (NAD 1983 California Zone 3, feet)
Opportunity
Description
Rationale
Densely populated
Used census data to find areas with high population density
Maximize usage of solar power/energy generated
Southern aspects
Selected south facing aspects
These areas receive more sunlight
Solar radiation
Assigned different weights to irradiance gradient
Want to optimize for sunlight
Available land
Selected open spaces and vacant lots
Need an available plot for the farm
Constraints
Description
Rationale
Liquefaction
500 ft buffer
Potential for property damage
Crime
300 ft buffer around vandalism, trespassing and stolen property
Streets
100 ft buffer
Don’t want to build on streets
Canopy cover
Clipped to San Francisco
Tree coverage limits capture of sunlight