I took Intro to the Grid, Systems, and Energy (NR 507), in the Spring of 2018. I decided to take that class because I thought renewable energy was really interesting. Flash forward two years, and I am still working in the renewable energy field! This class counted as my Environment, Technology & Society Category of Discovery and I took this before knowing that UNH even offered a sustainability dual major. During the class I was so excited about renewables that I planned to pursue the sustainable energy minor. 

This class covered introducing the grid and different types of renewable energy. I credit this class for laying the foundation for all my knowledge about renewable energy and grid systems. We learned about Generation, Transmission, and Distribution of energy and how Utilities track and pay for this in real time. We also learned about paying for solar systems, through Levelised Cost of Energy equations (LCOE). We also had many different units that covered energy types, diving into wind, solar, and newer systems such as wave and tidal! This class also described the importance of batteries when creating an energy system that relies on variable sources, such as wind and solar!

Another unit in our class focused on the future of the "smart" grid, Internet of Things (IOT), and electric vehicles. For me, I have always been fascinated by technology, so learning more about the possible and very likely future of how we interact within our homes really impacted the way I think about energy. Energy is definitely a passion of mine!