need help for my dissertation about solar panels

peizhai

before anybody answers the surveys i must caution you that this forum cannot be held responsible for said surveys and if you feel uneasy about doing the surveys or do not wish to disclose certain information that you do not have to do it. although it may be tradition to some to reward for such a thing it may also be deemed a business like deal and there is no requirement of the op to send anything and there is no requirement that you need to give your pertinent info out to receive something as we can't vouch for the op or his intentions. i did temporarily ban the op and eliminated the thread until i had decided what to do, with bb's input to me on this as well, but it's my decision. i will ask that the op please run past myself or bb in the future any further posts such as this so that the op would know if there could possibly be any problem with it. the op is free to discuss his said concerns here on the forum so that he may fulfill his educational needs with this input and keep within the rules, but if there's any doubt then run it past us moderators first. the op may also feel free to engage in helpful postings or discussions to enlighten or ask some questions about systems, products, etc. as is inline with the forum's purpose as help can be a 2 way street.
also, be aware that bb or this forum's owners may override my decision in part or in whole if they find something wrong with this that i may have overlooked.
niel

Hello,

I'm so glad I finally find the home for renewable energy guys.
As a PhD student, I'm doing research on solar energy for my dissertation.
However, I'm lacking of practical knowledge. I need to learn more practical issues from solar panel owners.

I designed a survey to learn from you.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/932LXJV

If you have solar panels for electricity to power your house,
Would you please take a couple of minutes to do the survey?
To thank you for the help, I would like to send you a gift if you finish the survey and let me know your email address.
This survey is really important for me.
Thank you very much!

Best wishes

Pei

Photowhit

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

Odd survey, made me answer 13 which I thought a stupid question, given a short time period. But accepted no answer for "how much... Electric Bill?" since I pay no electric bill.

BilljustBill

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

peizhai wrote: »

I also designed a survey for whom do not have solar panels yet.
Here is the link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SVDZYWB

I appreciate that if you can take a look and let me send a gift.

I just want to let you know that all the responses are for research only. Your reply would be a big help.

The topic of my research is "Social acceptance for solar energy technologies"

Pei

Okay, now what was the part about sending a gift? Did I miss something.. ;>)??

peizhai

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

Hello BilljustBill,

Thank you taking the survey!

Do you mind to send me your email address? So I can contact you and send you a gift.

Best wishes

Pei

peizhai

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

Photowhit wrote: »

Odd survey, made me answer 13 which I thought a stupid question, given a short time period. But accepted no answer for "how much... Electric Bill?" since I pay no electric bill.

Hello Photowhit,

Thank you for your reply and comments.
We'll think about that question again.
We are just students who are interested in solar energy. We are lacking of practical knowledge.
We appreciate any inputs to our survey.

Sincerely Pei

peizhai

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

Hello Niel,

I didn't know too much about the rules of the forum. (it is the first time I post)
If I broke the rules, I apologize for that.
However, this survey is only for my research. Since I have a couple of practical questions that I would like to learn from people who have solar panels. So I think making a survey is better than posting questions one by one.
I also would like to clarify that the survey has been approved by the IRB (Institutional Review Board) of Arizona State University. It makes no harm to participants.
About the gift offering, it is just to show my personal gratitude, nothing about business.
However, if you still think the survey is improperly posted here, please feel free to ban it.
It is my fault to bring this forum any trouble.

Thank you!
Pei

niel

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

go ahead with your surveys as i only added some cautions and disclaimers to allow the surveys to be in a proper perspective. many do not like to give out their email addresses and seeing as the gift is not a requirement then they don't have to give it to you if they don't want to. many of us have been doing without reward for our efforts for a long time and if we even required a thank you for all of the help from those that have given it on this forum then most of that help wouldn't have been here. i'm quite sure the thank yous have been appreciated by the membership from those that have given them.
if by lacking practical knowledge that you meant on hand experience then you will find a wealth of that here just for the reading as it would seem to me that somebody in college going for a phd better have some practical knowledge of the subject matter already just from being in class.:roll::p:D

peizhai

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

niel wrote: »

go ahead with your surveys as i only added some cautions and disclaimers to allow the surveys to be in a proper perspective. many do not like to give out their email addresses and seeing as the gift is not a requirement then they don't have to give it to you if they don't want to. many of us have been doing without reward for our efforts for a long time and if we even required a thank you for all of the help from those that have given it on this forum then most of that help wouldn't have been here. i'm quite sure the thank yous have been appreciated by the membership from those that have given them.
if by lacking practical knowledge that you meant on hand experience then you will find a wealth of that here just for the reading as it would seem to me that somebody in college going for a phd better have some practical knowledge of the subject matter already just from being in class.:roll::p:D

Nice!
I've already found that I can learn a lot here : )

Pei

westbranch

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

did survey but find that the knowledge base of 'asker' does not , as Photowit said, take into account the fact that a lot of us are off grid types, either by choice or necessity. Hence the survey really does not apply...

Also the survey misses 'cabin' user types and recreational Veh. users

Pei what id your proposed thesis title?

ej

peizhai

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

westbranch wrote: »

did survey but find that the knowledge base of 'asker' does not , as Photowit said, take into account the fact that a lot of us are off grid types, either by choice or necessity. Hence the survey really does not apply...

Also the survey misses 'cabin' user types and recreational Veh. users

Pei what id your proposed thesis title?

ej

Ej,

Thank you for your comments.
I just updated the survey according to your suggestion to make the survey apply to both on-grid and off-grid users.
However, the survey does not apply to cabin user and vehicles I'm afraid.
The title of the relevant chapter of the thesis is "Social acceptance of solar electricity technology"

Pei

niel

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

i can sum that one up right off the bat.

it's the high initial costs they frown upon as it is a high prepay.

it's funny how people have a mindset against prepaying for their electricity, as is the case with buying solar, when they like to prepay for their transportation needs with a car rather than take an available bus or taxi. i did take into account some don't have those options of transportation, but my being in a suburban area with all options available for transportation, most choose to buy a car. now if one argues the car being prepaid by an answer of financing the car rather than it being upfront all at once then this argument on financing applies to solar too for it can be financed. the pvs would save you money to boot rather than being an expense to have making paying for it a bit easier over time and not as much of a financial risk to have as a car is. both can have maintenance though and both may have it be an expensive surprise at times.:grr

edit to add:
i do have to admit that it would be much easier to get a loan for a car than for solar energy. guess which one will last longer.;) maybe a survey to financial institutions is in order to get answers as to why this reversal is true. pvs are a long lasting 20+yr investment to your real property and the other is just a transportation vehicle that usually is anticipated to last between 5 and 10yrs depending on factors.

peizhai

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

Thank you for all who have given me comments.
According to the comments, I updated the surveys.

If you have installed solar panels for home use (both on-grid and off-grid) http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/932LXJV

If you haven't installed solar panels for home http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NYMYSLM

Pei

BilljustBill

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

peizhai wrote: »

Thank you for all who have given me comments.
According to the comments, I updated the surveys.

If you have installed solar panels for home use (both on-grid and off-grid) http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/932LXJV

If you haven't installed solar panels for home http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NYMYSLM

Pei

Thank you for the followup and sending the silk scarf for taking your survey. It added one more positive thing toward my helping my wife understand more about solar!!

Bill

Rick Clark

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

I took the survey and I don't think it hurt to do it. Good luck;)

niel

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

rick,
that is fine and i didn't say there was anything wrong in doing the surveys, but we have to give a disclaimer as sometimes there are those who would do wrong seeing your info and that some may feel they have to do it and they don't. it is up to the individual if they do this.

peizhai

Re: need help for my dissertation about solar panels

Rick Clark wrote: »

I took the survey and I don't think it hurt to do it. Good luck;)

Hi Rick,

Thanks a lot for taking the survey.

Pei