The
Log
|
The project lasted 12
weeks. Here is presented the work done each week by the team.
Week 1
Obviously the start of the project.
Briefing by the Course Supervisor Professor J. Clarke.
Group formation.
The group eager to work on the project
Literature reviews on renewable
energy sources and technologies.
Week 2
Literature review continued in order to formulate the project title and objective. Believe us it was not as easy as we have thought!! The group anonymously agrees on the project title and objectives without considering the deliverables. Also, this was the week for the first crit. A lot of work was done presumably and we decided to go and celebrate … little did we know. Oh! My God, what a bad day for us! We got a serious telling off by Professor Clarke for saying “ we are going to do this and that “ about our project as we had not actually thought about how we were going to do all this. After the presentation each member went straight home to sleep till the next day.
The team chooses Lochgilphead to be the case study.
. Site visit to Hunterstun
Power Station (Nuclear Power).
Week 3
During this week the team concentrated on the previous crit shortfalls e.g. Why Small scale? We are glad the team managed to bring the house in order harmoniously and in a positive spirit. Background information to the project was compiled and the teething problems “overcome”. Re-setting of project objectives. We also identified through evaluation of literature search to date that a general methodology for preliminary feasibility study of small scale projects of this nature was required.
Replete with gusto from the direction this realisation had provided we set about writing one.
. Site visit to Lochgilphead by all four members. What about the view of the Atlantic Ocean!!!
. Site visit to Lighthouse (PV/Wind Systems).
Week 4
The second crit. As expected the presentation was clarifying our project scope and objectives. This was well handled. Congratulations! We talked about the site visit and its outcome. The visit was worth it even though we ran out of budget already. However, Prof Clarke was not there (?).
The methodology is now complete and we all feel that it will be fun to use the case study to fine tune it.
. Site visit to BRE East Kilbride.
Week 5
The embryo was developing! We worked on the establishment of electricity demand of Lochgilphead with the great help of the Scottish Hydro-Electric and Southern Electric. Constructed some load profiles. Little was done on the resources. Continued with literature survey. We are struggling to formulate the aim but eventually we got it. During that week we also got a HTML training session, which everyone thought was interesting and helpful.
. Site visit to Longannet Power Station (coal-fired).
Week 6
The third crit. Progress reporting.
Clearly spelt out the demand situation at Lochgilphead and the potential resources.
Also stated our approaches and
the intended project deliverables. The research and work on the demand
continues. Assumptions have to be taken reasonably in order to go on with the
project. Making deliverables clearer is again brought to our attention (damn!!).
. Site visit to view CHP units at Time Capsule
Week 7
Oh demand. Oh demand. How you
torment us so. We are all being tossed
upon the horns of this dilemma.
It is holding everything else up now, as the resource data is now
complete.
Site visit to Strathclyde University Energy Efficient Flats (Dimitros lives and one and makes us all coffee mmmm!)
Week 8
The group is working its brains out in order to get the final demand and
resource sides of the project. This is cause to a lot of discussions but the
group finally decides in a “jolly good” atmosphere and the project can go on.
The fourth crit is an absolute success and once again we praise ourselves for
being so good. We even might be able to finish the project one month in advance
(yeah right!!).
Site visit to Glasgow City Council Landfill Site
Week 9
The matter of demand and supply matching is a
very tricky and difficult to do as there is no real methods or ways to do it.
The group has to be even more accurate and selective as far as the different
technologies are concerned in order to have relevant and cohesive data.
Week 10
The group is still struggling a lot to find a way to match supply and
demand but after the efforts made last week to be more cohesive we finally have
it: we are use an Excel spreadsheet, where we will put all the information
needed to decide our system. The fifth crit is just a formality. In about five
minutes the group has to present what it is going to talk about in the very
final crit and who.
Week 11
We started to choose the fancy colours and
bullet points for the web page. The
navigation between the pages has proved to be tough but we soldiered
through. Most of the information has
now been assembled. The proposed
solution is complete. The final
presentation is coming together.
Despite our best project management efforts it looks as though there
will be a minor rush towards the end of the project.
Week 12
The minor rush has materialized. We are in the library until the scary ball
rings and no one has been drinking a substantial amount for more than a
week. We all feel as though we are shipwrecked
or at the very least marooned.
The mock presentation went well save for a few
minor changes in running order. The
website is complete. Indeed this is the
last paragraph. Good night.