#017 – Sustainable Energy Systems – Jose Lara
Jose Lara is a PhD candidate at the University of Berkeley California within the Energy and Resources Group. He has a bachelor’s and a licentiate in Electrical engineering from the University of Costa Rica, and a master’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo. Jose has experience working on various Energy related projects including hydro generation, electric vehicle deployment, and microgrid architecture.
Connect with Jose Lara via Linkedin.
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Discussion timestamps:
03:00 – Guest intro
03:27 – Why Jose decided to study engineering.
06:01 – Helping to rebuild a Hydro generation site – learning the differences between theory and applied engineering.
07:11 – A budding interest in the Energy sector.
08:41 – Having a lab space to enable further learning.
11:58 – Contributing to the deployment of the Nissan Leaf in Costa Rica. Landing a job despite being the youngest candidate.
19:44 – Going back to academia for a master’s in electrical and computer engineering.
24:46 – Researching microgrids. Stochastic optimization. Risk minimization.
28:55 – The art and science of model creation.
30:43 – Engineering in the real world: It’s not only about the technical skills.
32:43 – Working with Hatch on a microgrid project. Applying academic research to a practical application.
39:51 – The limits of technology. Incorporating economics, finance, and politics.
44:31 – Question to ask when tackling a problem: How will this be implemented?
45:36 – Forecasting the future of our energy system. A trend of decentralization.
48:45 – Future technologies that excite Jose.
50:27 – Final words to engineering students.
Episode related content:
What is the Smart Grid? by Scientific American:
Overview of the Microgrid and the role of storage to reduce cost and improve stability:
The UCSD Microgrid – Showing the Future of Electricity … Today:
Using behavioral science to reduce electricity consumption:
BBC Podcast My Perfect Country: Costa Rica
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