Integration and Critical Awareness

Global warming is a prominent reason for the increase in hurricanes and other climate-related hazards. Miami-Dade County’s location places it at risk of flooding, sea-level rise, and infrastructural damage. Furthermore, these hazards pose threats to the area’s residents and various businesses. As a result, we developed an interactive map that encourages the implementation of solar panels and considers an area’s flood risk. The product was created using MapHub. When a user clicks on a zip code, information related to the area’s flood risk, average roof space, annual electricity generated, and annual cost savings is displayed. These metrics were chosen based on available data so that stakeholders can make the best decisions possible about what areas are most suitable for solar energy installation.

Our project required implementing a variety of technical and non-technical disciplines. Some necessary technical subjects were software engineering and environmental sciences, whereas non-technical disciplines that were incorporated into our project include law, economics, and communication. In addition, we discovered relations across different subjects which in the end required us to combine the two disciplines to reach our project objectives. For instance, this is exemplified by how we leveraged both software engineering and economics. The team had to consider the financial aspects regarding solar panels and then translate those economic considerations into a software program. The combination of these two disciplines helped us to create an interface that was useful for stakeholders. as we enabled them to consider how we could possibly program our interactive platform to produce results that were actionable but also equitable for residents in Miami-Dade. The identification of feasible solar panel installation zones allows us to enable implementations for people who don’t have prestigious economic situations.

Another relationship among disciplines identified in our methodology involves law and environmental studies. We needed to ensure we adhered to policies set by the Miami-Dade government when making suggestions for solar panel implementation. Although our project contains mechanisms aimed at the evolution of Miami-Dade County’s energy grid resilience, we needed approval from laws and regulations to verify the construction of solar panels in that area. Some buildings such as tall buildings near the airport may not receive a panel due to height restrictions, but the Florida state government forbids the prohibition of installation if a person demonstrates interest to do it. These facts must be taken into consideration because the establishment of solar panels in society will be beneficial to the entire global community.

A common link between these disciplines was the consideration of humans being one of the leading factors. Each subject would relate back to coincident financial constraints but also how this new approach will impact individuals. We found that many considerations throughout the project were influenced by financial constraints or thoughts because of how economics influences decision-making. Finite economic resources made the restraints apparent across direct and indirect stakeholders’ decisions for solar panel recommendations.

The team found that one advantage to incorporating multiple disciplines includes the ability to utilize a combination of project management skills, business skills, and technical domain knowledge to create a final product. Our problem scope for this project had multiple factors that we had to consider. For example, we can cite specific factors such as global temperature rise, and an intro to solar panels, including the longevity of solar panels in South Florida while undergoing climate change and how this would impact our recommendations. The change toward solar panels had a ripple effect that impacted multiple groups.

Our team found that because of the varying stakeholder groups both direct and indirect, a single approach wouldn’t suffice in creating an actionable final product. The race to a clean renewable energy source has begun and considering the fact that many counties and cities are searching for newer methodologies to implement them, an interdisciplinary approach is required. We looked at the lack of resilience of some old power lines and arrived at solar panels as a capable solution due to intense sunlight rays in Florida. Useful tools like our interactive map will become more prominent to help users make an informed decision towards this next step because the trend of the exponential crescent of energy, engineering, and technological resources tends to proceed.