ECONOMICS AND ENERGY

Renewable energy utilities can potentially realize large energy savings by generating some of their own energy from renewable sources on their own landholdings.  Improvements to solar forecasting can increase solar power generation, and management and planning of solar energy resources. Economic evaluation of renewable energy and solar projects using water and energy as metrics, will allow Nevada to better allocate its scarce water resources.

The Economics and Energy Team will conduct research in three areas:

  1. Understand energy generation in landholdings (Etezadi-Amoli, Lavani, Fadali, and Baghzouz)
  2. Solar irradiance forecasting (Wilcox)
  3. Economic analysis of solar / renewable energy projects (T. Harris)

RESEARCH TEAM