Geographical Information Systems for the State of Nevada - Essay Example

? Research Proposal – GIS for the of Nevada Introduction Nevada is one of the richest s in energy sources in the United States. With the growing demand of electricity in the US, Nevada is often touted as a state which can play a key role in fulfilling this demand. Currently, Nevada leads other US states in terms of potential for generating electricity through geothermal energy and solar power while much of the Nevada state is also suitable for generating electricity through wind energy. Until 2006, Nevada's main power source was coal-fired Mohave Generating Station, however, tighter pollution control led to its closure (US EIA, 2011). Pursuance of green sources of energy led Nevada and other neighbouring state to establish Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) regulation, which mandated the increase production of energy from renewable sources. For the state of Nevada, the RPS regulation required all energy producers to gradually increase the production of energy from renewable sources to 25% by the year 2025 out of which 6% must come from solar energy sources by the year 2016 (NECD, 2011). The strong emphasis on the use of solar energy is representative of the fact that Nevada is one of the best places in the United States where solar energy can be used. The purpose of this study is to establish the potential of Nevada's solar energy and its suitability as a source of energy for fulfilling current and future energy needs of Nevada in comparison with other alternative sources of energy. Statement of the Problem As the state of Nevada have been actively pursuing the strategy of using more renewable resources then conventional ones, research has been done measuring the total potential of each renewable resource in the state of Nevada. In order to establish a practical policy for renewable resource development in Nevada, it is also important to how various renewable resources compare to each other in terms of their potential. Solar energy is one of the most abundant renewable resources in Nevada and has the potential to be the most suitable resource for future energy needs of Nevada. The problem that this research will attempt to solve is to establish the suitability of solar energy as the resource for fulfilling the future energy demands of Nevada. This research will also include a comparative study of suitability of other renewable resource and how they compare with solar energy. The purpose of the Study The primary purpose of this project is to find out if solar energy resource in Nevada State is sufficient enough to be utilized for energy needs of Nevada. This project will also demonstrate the utility of GIS in carrying out such suitability study. The research will make use of data, maps and images of Nevada available from MapCruzin website as well as other resources. Buffer Analysis will be utilized through ArcGIS software in establishing the suitability of solar energy. Literature Review Nevada is considered one of the most versatile states in the US when it comes to renewable energy. It has excellent a wide range of excellent sites which could be developed for all four renewable resources. At the moment a significant amount of state's energy is generated through renewable resources. This is due to the Renewable Portfolio Standard regulation passed in 2001, according to which 15% of the state's electricity is required to be produced through renewable resources by 2013 which would then eventually rise to 25% by 2025. Among the widely available renewable energy sources that have already been utilized for electricity production are Wind, Solar, Geothermal as well as hydropower (Energy Atlas, 2011). Geothermal Geothermal energy industry is also one of the more mature ones in Nevada, as the state is the second largest user of geothermal energy for electricity production in the US while a total power production of 550 megawatt and an untapped potential of a further 1000 megawatts make it number one in utilization of geothermal energy per capita. Nevada also has a very well develop geothermal research infrastructure. One of the biggest geothermal research institutes in the US, The Great Basin Centre is also in Nevada, and works with the University of Nevada to establish geothermal energy as a viable option for economical energy source for Nevada (NECD, 2011). Wind Nevada also has abundance of wind resources; however, Nevada has only recently started utilizing its wind resources for power production. According to the US Department of Energy, the wind resources of Nevada are consistent with utility scale energy production with good-to-excellent resource located in the southern Nevada and also on higher ridges present throughout the state (NECD, 2011). Solar The state of Nevada is considered the top state in the US when it comes to utilizing solar energy per capita. Nevada receives more then average sunshine each year with the state receiving more than 250 days of sunshine on average (University of Nevada, 2011). This extended period of sunshine along with abundant open land makes the space an excellent space for the development of electricity through solar energy. Nevada also has two of largest solar projects in the world. The Acciona Energy's Solar One is a 64 megawatts solar power plant situated near the city of Las Vegas. This power plant has a potential capacity of 2000 megawatts. The second solar project is situated north of the Nellis Air Force Base. It is operated by the US Air Force and produces a total of 14 megawatts (NECD, 2011). Many of Nevada’s homes, businesses and schools are also producing their own electricity through solar energy, primarily under the SolarGenerations rebate program. It is estimated that around 1.7 megawatts of power is generated by photovoltaic system installed under this program (NRDC, 2011). Research Hypothesis The research hypothesis for this project is "Solar energy is the most suitable option for fulfilling Nevada's power requirements" Research Questions The questions that this project will seek answer to include - What is the existing state of electricity production in the state of Nevada? - What is the potential of electricity generation through solar energy in Nevada? - How does the option of solar energy compare to other renewable energy options? - How can the available renewable resources in Nevada be efficiently utilize to promote development of the state? Proposed Research Methodology Selected Research Design Through this research, a thorough understanding of Nevada's renewable energy resource potential will be gained by analysing maps and data through GIS and the result of this research will include ways of utilizing this potential in the most efficient ways. Therefore, the research methodology that will be used for this project will be interpretative. Buffer Analysis will be used to carry out the analysis using ArcGIS and other GIS software (Saunders, 2007). Primary Research GIS Buffer Analysis will be conducted to carry out primary research for this project. The Buffer Analysis will utilize maps of Nevada and other data available from MapCruzin website and other resources and will be carried out primarily using ArcGIS software. This analysis will include analysing the geographical as well topographical data in order to estimate the solar energy potential as well as to measure the future demands of electricity of the state. Secondary Research The secondary research for this project will be carried out by utilizing literature presented in articles, books and journals from reliable sources on the Internet as well as libraries. Books that will be used to carry out the secondary research include Alternative Energy Sources for the United States and Empowering Electric and Gas Utilities with GIS. Articles included in journals such as Ecological Economics, Energy as well as other academic researches available through databases such as ScienceDirect, ISI Web of Knowledge and Emerald along with information available through Nevada State’s official and public and private companies' website will also be used. Limitations Several factors contribute toward making this research limited. The primary reasons for which this research can be considered limited are time and money. The limited amount of time allocated for this research reduces the comprehensiveness of this research while the lack of funds also limits the amount of efforts that can be made to make this research as complete as possible. In order to minimize the effect of these two factors, the scope of this research has been limited to the state of Nevada only. Significance of the Research Personal Significance This research hold significant importance for me as being a student of GIS, I firmly believe that I can use this project to contribute toward efficient utilization of renewable resource in my own country. I also came from a part of the world where sunlight is available in abundance for most of the year; hence, if it can be utilized for energy production then it can certainly solve the power problems in my country. I also believe that this research work will also significantly contribute toward brightening my future prospects. Significance to the Research Industry Although the literature contains significant amount of research on the topic of efficient utilization of solar energy, however, this research is significant as it considers the case of a particular region, that is, the state of Nevada in the US. The research for this project is also expected to contribute on how a comparison between different renewable resources can be performed, how a single resource or a combination of resources can be efficiently utilized for energy production as well as on the topic of policy making for efficient utilization of renewable resources. Contribution to the Society Electricity is one of basic needs of the people, and since Nevada is rich in renewable energy sources, the government can utilize these to fulfil this need. However, to plan effectively it is important to know whether the resources in Nevada will be enough for this. This research will help the government officials as well as research in finding the answer to this question. List of References Energy Atlas. 2011. Nevada Renewable Energy Resources. Enery Atlas Website [online]. Available from . Access date 19 March 2011. NCED. 2011. Renewable Energy. Nevada Commission for Economic Development Website [online]. Available from . Access date 19 March 2011. NRDC. 2011. Renewable Energy for America: Harvesting the Benefits of Homegrown, Renewable Energy. Natural Resource Defense Council Website [online]. Available from . Access date 19 March 2011. University of Nevada. 2011. Renewable Energy Maps of Nevada. University of Nevada Website [online]. Available from . Access date 19 March 2011. US EIA. 2011. Nevada State Energy Profile. US Energy Information Administration Website [online]. Available from . Access date 19 March 2011. Read More