Introducing my Project

The primary project that I am working on revolves around sustainable and resilient energy for Death Valley National Park. I work within Cow Creek, an administrative area where operational buildings and employee housing can be found.  This area receives power from a single source: a 30-mile pole line, much of which can only be maintained by helicopter. Because of this, the area has frequent power outages. Death Valley’s extreme weather makes these power outages life-threatening for the people who reside in the Cow Creek area.  So, in an attempt to make the energy system more resilient, while also decarbonizing the energy system, I am designing a microgrid, which will shift most energy usage to photovoltaic (solar) energy, while also building resiliency. The microgrid will work as follows: solar panels will be put on the rooftops of all the houses, this will generate enough energy to make Cow Creek net-zero in energy production during the day, and will generate enough energy to power a battery system, which will cover 50% of the energy usage at night. My task is to design the logistical planning of the solar panels and battery system so that adequate energy is generated. This project is highly relevant amid climate change and the need for resilient energy in this park. I am super excited to continue to work on it, and have my work be impactful. Below, I have attached a map of the Cow Creek area, the area that my project is focusing on.