Shamiso O.

Chirenda
Professor Amanda Amstutz
English 219
May 2, 2016
Solar Tree an Eminent Invention
Problem generated
As summer approaches in New Mexico, many people will partake in outdoor activities
such as triathlons, gatherings, volunteering, and the like. However, some students that take
summer classes enjoy being outdoors, but are limited due to the classes they have to physically
attend. It follows that, some students prefer studying outdoors and while doing so they require
electronic devices which greatly depend on electricity. This problem can be solved by
introducing a Solar Tree at the University of New Mexico, main campus.
Current Situation
With natural resources rapidly diminishing, the burden is now left for this current
generation to investigate and create new forms of energy. The University of New Mexico is the
ideal site to implement this initiative because it has been open to alternate forms of power in the
past and currently houses an array of photovoltaic solar panels on the roof of the Mechanical
Engineering building. Similarly, the photovoltaic solar cells will be the best answer to the
problem with diminishing nonrenewable energy. Since, New Mexico is one of the sunniest cities,
with about 301 days of immense sunlight per year. It is only fair to use the 5.5kWh per meter per
day it receives from the sun on an innovative project (see appendix; National Atlas, 2006).
Theoretically, photovoltaic cells directly convert sunlight into electricity. Photovoltaic
cells consist of a diode, which is made of silicon crystal. A diode is an electronic device that
limits current flow to one direction. The electrons flow from positive to the negative. When light
enters the exposed active surface, it jars electrons loose from their sites in the crystal. The
electrons that have enough energy to go through the diode cannot go on the other side without
passing through an external circuit. The current generated from the cells is small and the voltage
is low, and therefore they must be connected in large series-parallel arrays (solar panels) in
order to produce useful amounts of energy. Typical solar panels of this kind are about 10% to
15% efficient in converting light energy into electrical energy (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2006).
Currently solar panels provide energy to private residences, businesses and cities with large scale
demands. Large scale power conversion solar cells have many problems; the most serious of
these is the wide variation of voltage and current, which oscillate directly with the amount of
sunlight.
This can be compensated for by storing the energy produced during peak periods in
batteries. Another solution to this problem in the future is to create a grid tied system, which
outputs the energy not being used directly back into the grid. The energy transferred back into
the grid can be metered and institutions, private companies or residences can sell it to the local
utilities.

Project Plan

Identify the advantages and disadvantages of using photovoltaic cells instead of its other
types of cells.
- A direct current inverter must be used to switch power into electricity that
students/persons will use to charge their devices. If there is no inverter or
perhaps a different kind, this may fry(kill) the batteries on the devices.
- After designing the structure of the solar tree, we will focus on the types of
material that can be used in order to physically build the tree.
- Its one thing to plant the solar tree in a busy area, but what if theres not
enough sunlight? Wed have to record a few power (Watts) readings in
different places on campus, before finalizing the project.
- Next, wed have to experiment and record values in Watts on a sunny, cloudy,
rainy, and windy day. This will help us understand the amount of power the
solar tree can deliver.
- Depending on the power delivered by the battery, the solar tree can only
accommodate 12-students.
- Also, knowing the material, building, and maintenance cost will help the
University know a rough estimate of how much theyd need to budget.
Discussing possible future advantages and disadvantages of the Solar Tree.
- The cells will have to be replaced every after 4 years.
- The cells will generate more power due to the constant sunny weather in New
Mexico.
- If the first Solar tree is successful, the University may want to invest in
another one.

Costs and Benefits

The environmental advantages to producing a portion of UNMs energy by
renewable sources, specifically solar energy, are noticeable. As UNMs energy demands increase
along with the worlds, the demands on the electricity plants also increase. The increase in
energy consumption goes hand in hand with the increase in coal burning, adding more
greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. With some of the energy demand being offset by an increase
in solar energy production, these emissions will be reduced. In addition, the need for an
additional coal or fossil fuel fired power plant may be eliminated, or at the very least, delayed.
Boulder will initially provide $4 million, or about 2% of the total 2005 budget, toward this solar
energy initiative (CleanTechnica, 2013). This money will primarily subsidize PNMs Energys
Solar Rebate Program.
The PNM program will pay up to $4.50 per Watt (W) installed for customers (UNM) who
install grid connected photovoltaic (PV) cells on their homes or businesses. Of this $4.50, $2.00
per W is a rebate, and the other $2.50 per W is a Renewable Energy Credit (REC). This rebate
program was a part of New Mexicos Amendment 37, passed in 2004 (USA Today, 2006). . As
part of this program, businesses were required to purchase 10% of their energy from renewable
sources in 2015, with 4% generated by solar. The calculated annual bill savings for the consumer

(UNM) is $257 and the annual tax savings is $247. This $504 annual savings is equal to putting
the initial $11,500 into a bank and earning 4.4%. This is a generous yield compared to the 2 to
3% that a normal savings account yields (USA Today, 2006).
Qualifications
Our team is composed of members that have worked on different types of projects that
require welding, milling, and other types of machining. Not to mention, for our last project the
entire class was provided with the equal amount of material and was asked to create a cannon
that acts a marble launcher. Our team came up with different designs and created a light weight
that could launch a marble 40ft away. It for this reason we came first place and we believe that
we can use this same type of concept to create an innovative solar tree.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why one should make photovoltaic cells and solar energy a part
of their daily life, but the major incentive is that this will protect the environment. Using efficient
solar cells will help boost the power produced and then delivered to students electrical devices.
By embracing the solar initiative presented here, the University of New Mexico can help its
students and its government move toward a cleaner and more renewable way of living. Thank
you for taking the time to read this proposal. I can be contacted at schirenda@unm.edu.
Works cited
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