University of Texas at El Paso DigitalCommons@UTEP Open Access Theses & Dissertations 2016-01-01 A Novel Approach For Evaluating The mpI act Of Fixed Variables On Photovoltaic (pv) Solar Installations Using Enhanced Meta Data Analysis Among Higher Education Institutions In The United States Diane N. De Hoyos University of Texas at El Paso, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.utep.edu/open_etd Part of the Environmental Engineering Commons, and the Oil, Gas, and Energy Commons Recommended Citation De Hoyos, Diane N., "A Novel Approach For Evaluating The mpI act Of Fixed Variables On Photovoltaic (pv) Solar Installations Using Enhanced Meta Data Analysis Among Higher Education Institutions In The nitU ed States" (2016). Open Access Theses & Dissertations. 632. https://digitalcommons.utep.edu/open_etd/632 This is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UTEP. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UTEP. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A NOVEL APPROACH FOR EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF FIXED VARIABLES ON PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) SOLAR INSTALLATIONS USING ENHANCED META DATA ANALYSIS AMONG HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES DIANE N. DE HOYOS Doctoral Program in Mechanical Engineering APPROVED: Tzu-Liang (Bill) Tseng, Ph.D., Chair Arturo Olivárez Jr., Ph.D., Co-Chair Barry Benedict, Ph.D. Yirong Lin, Ph.D. Norman Love, Ph.D. Charles Ambler, Ph.D. Dean of the Graduate School Copyright © by Diane N. De Hoyos 2016 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my beloved mother, the late Mrs. Maria Navarro De Hoyos and my esteemed father, the late Mr. Esteban De Hoyos Sr., both native Texans who believed their children’s life would be enriched through education. I have lived an extraordinary life because of the incredible sacrifices they made to ensure that my brother and sisters would have the opportunity to receive an advanced education. Their devotion to our family was significant and honorable. The first and most important teachers in life are our parents. I am who I am, because how they raised me, how I saw them live their daily lives and how much they loved me. For the sacrifices they made and their selfless willingness to encourage me to believe that any dream was possible, including obtaining this prestigious and significant degree, I am forever grateful. Any and all of my accomplishments are in tribute to their legacy and how they lived their life - with honesty, respect and integrity. I am so very proud to be their daughter. A NOVEL APPROACH FOR EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF FIXED VARIABLES ON PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) SOLAR INSTALLATIONS USING ENHANCED META DATA ANALYSIS AMONG HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES by DIANE N. DE HOYOS, B.S., M.S. DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at El Paso in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Mechanical Engineering THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO December 2016 Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge first and foremost the opportunity to study at the University of Texas at El Paso. We live in a time where society is undergoing many global changes. Many people in our society will never have a glimmer of the possibility to attend an institution of higher education. This saddens and humbles me. I can only hope that the knowledge I have acquired here will be used in some small way to assist those not so fortunate. I would like to express gratitude to my Chair and Advisor, Dr. Tzu – Liang (Bill) Tseng for his endless advice and counsel throughout this journey. His willingness to continuously assist and support me throughout the past several years is very much appreciated. I also wish to acknowledge with profound respect and appreciation, Dr. Arturo Olivárez, who contributions to this dissertation from a research methodological analysis perspective guidance has been significant and noteworthy. I wish to recognize and thank my entire committee: Dr. Tzu-Liang (Bill) Tseng, Dr. Barry A. Benedict, Dr. Arturo Olivárez Jr., Dr. Yirong Lin and Dr. Norman D. Love Jr. The following professors have impacted my studies throughout my doctoral process and I would like to take the opportunity to express gratitude to them: The late Dr. Ricardo Pineda. The late Dr. Ralph Martinez, Dr. Ashan Choudhuri, Dr. Barry Benedict, Dr. Arturo Olivárez, Dr. Steven Stafford (Engineering) and Dr. David G. Novick (Engineering). I wish to thank several of my colleagues (past and present) who have been a tremendous support throughout this entire process: Ms. Cindy Villa, Ms. Iris Neistas, Dr. Jorge Villalobos, Dr. Catie McCorry-Andalis, Mr. Jesus Carillo, Mr. Thomas Gottschalk, Mr. Bo Andersson, Ms. Alicia Villarreal-Ramon and the entire Pavlou family. Their endless encouragement and support throughout this journey is immeasurable and I am eternally grateful. v And in conclusion and with the utmost gratitude and respect, I wish to acknowledge my family, the late Mr. and Mrs. Esteban De Hoyos for their ability to make me feel that any and all of my dreams had absolutely no boundaries. I would also like to acknowledge my sister - Rosie, who has assisted throughout my educational journey with significant and continuous words of encouragement and support without condition. Growing up and throughout our life, she has always been in my corner. She has truly been the wind beneath my wings. I graduated with my undergraduate degree at the age of 21. I received my Master’s degree at the age of 36. And at the age of 58 and with the completion of this degree, I have completed my “unfulfilled” dream. And for this, I am extremely grateful. vi Abstract The global demand for electric energy has continuously increased over the last few decades. Some mature, alternative generation methods are wind, power, photovoltaic panels, biogas and fuel cells. In order to find alternative sources of energy to aid in the reduction of our nation’s dependency on non-renewable fuels, energy sources include the use of solar energy panels. The intent of these initiatives is to provide substantial energy savings and reduce dependence on the electrical grid and net metering savings during the peak energy-use hours. The focus of this study explores and provides a clearer picture of the adoption of solar photovoltaic technology in institutions of higher education. It examines the impact of different variables associated with a photovoltaic installation in an institutions of higher education in the United States on the production generations for universities. Secondary data was used with permission from the Advancement of Suitability in Higher Education (AASHE). A multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the impact of different variables on the energy generation production. A Meta Data transformation analysis offered a deeper investigation into the impact of the variables on the photovoltaic installations. Although a review of a significant number of journal articles, dissertations and thesis in the area of photovoltaic solar installations are available, there were limited studies of actual institutions of higher education with the significant volume of institutions. However a study where the database included a significant number of data variables is unique and provides a researcher the opportunity to investigate different facets of a solar installation. The data of the installations ranges from 1993 - 2015. Included in this observation are the researcher’s experience both in the procurement industry and as a team member of a solar institution of higher education in the southern portion of the United States. vii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... v Abstract ....................................................................................................................................vii Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... iviii List of Tables ........................................................................................................................ xiiiii List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... xv Chapter 1: Introduction to Research ........................................................................................... 1 1.1 History and Background ............................................................................................... 6 1.2 Research Problem Setting ............................................................................................. 6 1.2.1 Research Problem ................................................................................................ 7 1.3 Research Purpose.......................................................................................................... 8 1.4 Scope of This Research ................................................................................................. 8 1.4.1 Research Questions............................................................................................. 9 1.5 Importance of This Research ...................................................................................... 11 1.5.1 Need of This Research .....................................................................................