Green Energy: Is Solar Better than Wind in South Florida?

Green Energy: Is Solar Better than Wind in South Florida?

In this research we first establish the typical energy consumption for a family home, and compare the cost of satisfying that need through solar and wind power generation. When considering solar energy, we assume that all of the energy is generated using Photo-Voltaic Cells (PVC). When using wind power, we assume that wind turbines are used. For solar energy generation, we have made actual measurements of energy generated by a sample PVC, we will also look at the weather profile and available sunlight profile of the region. For wind energy, we will look at the wind profile collected by other researchers and estimate the potential energy generation capacity. We assumed that unlimited surface area was available for both solar and wind turbine installation for as many solar panels or turbines as we might need. These observations and calculations show that due to lack of steady and continuous wind at speeds that can be conducive for power generation, solar power is more feasible option even at current prices of PVCs.