Norman Woolworth

Field Work Summary

I am working with Qingbin Wang on designing a survey to assess public opinion on the planned South Burlington solar farm. I am in the process of working on a third draft of the survey. In the survey we are asking questions about residents knowledge and opinion of renewable energy and if they support the proposed project. The most important information we are trying to get is how much more residents are willing to pay for their electricity depending on the percentage that is generated from solar. We are asking what residents are willing to pay if 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of their electricity is generated from solar. Drafting a survey like this has given me perspective on the practicality of photovoltaics and the need for cost reductions for it to become a widespread form of electricity production. I will also be shadowing Malcolm Gray from Montpelier Construction on some energy audits on May 6^th.