Sustainable Energy Transition

In this research area, we are focused on transitioning our energy sources to a decarbonized portfolio in an equitable and just way.

Modeling Soft Costs and Uncertainty for Utility-Scale Solar Projects

Utility-scale solar plants are a major part of the growth in the solar industry and government research funding is a critical driver for this growth and potential cost reduction. We present a new approach to build a decision model for government funding agencies, such as the US DOE Solar Office, to evaluate solar research funding strategies. Increased research funding allocation to soft cost (non-technology costs) could spur needed innovation and accelerate cost reduction for the industry.

Wind Farm Landowner and Developer Decision Making

Wind energy continues to grow as an important part of the US energy portfolio, yet many wind farms fail due to inadequate engagement with landowners. Landowners must lease their land to developers for turbine operations for the hundreds of square miles required to develop a wind farm. This time is highly uncertain for all stakeholders. We built an agent-based model to study the developer and landowner interactions during this process, called "landowner acquisition." We quantify actions a developer can take to engage the landowner and discuss how learnings from this model can inform future wind farm developments.

Navigate our Research Areas: Clean Mobility for All | Sustainable Energy Transition | Design Justice