A data-driven framework for deploying solar PV at Penn State University

The Pennsylvania State University has set greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals that must be met with minimal impact on tuition rates. Investment in solar photovoltaic (PV) generation is a key part of this mission, and site selection is a critical component of the decision-making process. The decision framework Penn State developed to investigate the economic impacts of solar PV installation site selection on the University Park campus are detailed as a case study that other institutions, organizations, or corporations, could readily adopt. The case study shows the power of a data-driven, objective decision-making process to compare multiple (competing) criteria using a single framework to explore many possible solutions. The framework relies on analyzing options through modeling the interaction of both decision-maker controlled and externally controlled factors, visualizing the impacts of potential decision tradeoffs on the outcomes over a range of possible futures, and developing preferences while exploring simulation resultant data. The methods and tools used during the process are described as are the results and insights gained by comparing options. Finally, the next steps in Penn State's transition to decreasing its GHG emissions are discussed.