“Being part of this research internship and working with Professor Daniel Kammen, founder of RAEL, and Alexandra Grayson, who started her PhD this autumn, was truly inspiring during my eight weeks at UC Berkeley,” says Felix Askenberger, an exchange student from Kungliga Tekniska högskolan.
In various studies, a key focus of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL) has been integrating tidal energy into SWITCH, a Python-based optimisation model for power systems.
"Alexandra G. and I collaborated closely, and I had the chance to assist her with her project titled ‘Equity in the Expanding US Clean Energy Workforce: A Review and Application to the Marine Renewable Energy Sector.’ I was responsible for preparing the integration of tidal energy into RAEL’s SWITCH model. I was even honoured to have my name included in the work when, in August, she presented it at the MIT A B conference, organised by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University,” he continues. “The experience allowed me to see how research is conducted at University of California, Berkeley first-hand, and it broadened my perspective on the world of academia.”
The internship also featured a visit to AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, a hub for research, innovation, and education in the marine sector, located at the Port of Los Angeles, as well as a trip to the coastal town of Monterey for free diving with RAEL students Alexandra G., Mario Fontes, and Valentin Gäumann. Monterey is renowned for its marine life and rich biodiversity. Fully equipped in wetsuits, we went free diving in the kelp forests, swimming alongside crabs, sea otters, and seals. It was an unforgettable experience and a memory of a lifetime.
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