This research uses satellite data and the moment statistics to determine if solar farms can be placed in the Southeast US. From 2001-2019, the data are analyzed in reference to the Southwest US, where solar farms are located. The clean energy need is becoming more common; therefore, more locations than arid environments must be observed. The Southeast US is the main location of interest due to the warm, moist environment throughout the year. This research uses the Global Land Surface Satellite (GLASS) photosynthetically active radiation product (PAR) to determine viable locations for solar panels. A probability density function (PDF) along with the moment statistics are utilized to determine statistic thresholds from solar farms in the Southwest US. For the Southeast US, three major locations were determined to be a viable option: Mississippi Delta, Northwest Florida, and Southwestern Alabama. This research shows that solar farms can be efficient in areas with more convective cloud cover, such as the Southeast US.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MSSTATE/oai:scholarsjunction.msstate.edu:td-6624 |
| Date | 09 August 2022 |
| Creators | Kavanagh, Jolie |
| Publisher | Scholars Junction |
| Source Sets | Mississippi State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
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