How difficult will it be to find a country that welcomes foreigners in a global epidemic of a deadly airborne virus?
Many, as Saul Blaine Found. But the third year of electrical engineering will take more than a pandemic to stop pursuing major foreign cooperation. He had to find a match for a Spanish-speaking region where he could gain experience in the field of renewable energy. So he went to work.
“I must have sent 30 cool emails to different companies,” he says. I searched Google and Google Maps by looking at solar energy companies in Latin America and examining the extent of various COVID infections.
“I must have sent 30 cold emails to different companies,” says Saul Blaine. Photo by Saul Blaine.
He heard back from a company based in Costa Rica Alvata Energy, Provides solar power to homes, factories and schools. The company designed a solar system to generate a prototype Space shuttle Engine and mounted solar panels on a large roof Medical device Company to supply enough juice to light up nearly 800 homes in Costa Rica.
The country that won the United Nations High environmental protection A.D. In 2019, it has embraced renewable energy with zero carbon emissions.
Costa Rican President Carlos Cusada They said March interview with the International Monetary Fund. Costa Rica’s electricity network itself comes entirely from renewable sources, according to Costa Rica. Media.
The United States, on the other hand, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030, and by carbon emissions by 2035. Planning Announced by President Joe Biden.
Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar technology, play a key role.
Blaine’s interest in electrical engineering came to light when he studied Northeast Energy Systems Michael Ken, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “It was the part that strengthened my interest in this line of work,” says Blaine.
He is using that knowledge in collaboration with Alvolta Energy to develop an application that monitors the performance of installed solar panel systems and identifies potential problems such as inverters. They are the heart of any solar panel project, and any error, breakdown or offline time has a direct impact on energy production and cost savings.
The stand-alone Blein app solves time-consuming energy by clicking on and checking the inverter for each plant.
“They are identified as a problem in the company and they want a cheaper solution,” Blaine said. “The idea is to make it easier and easier to identify things in a faster and easier way. In addition, we can analyze the information gathered and use it to make predictions and understand the current generation.
He designed the logic of the app, decided which software to use, and learned the appropriate software protocols that allow developers like him to access customer data.
The project was suspended in mid-May due to a software issue that meant the project would not be completed before it left Costa Rica. He hopes to make it to the finals this summer at his home in Massachusetts.
Sadly, it was not a big project when I was in Costa Rica, but I am still grateful for the experience. It exposed me to a lot of new technology and helped me develop some new skills, not related to solar engineering.
“I want to deliver [the app] For them, it’s something I’ve been working on for a while, and they really used it, ”Blaine said.
Looking ahead, he plans to take a 10-week virtual research course in the Northeast this summer. Ways to open up the world’s energy resources. Research topics include making solar energy more economical by focusing on overcoming the challenges of providing clean energy to citizens around the world.
If he does not argue for himself when he seeks international employment in the midst of a global health crisis, his work experience in Costa Rica may not be the same. It offers advice for others who want to create their own collaboration.
Throw a large group of apostates there until they find something. Talking to professionals, advocating for yourself, and taking the opportunity to develop your own opportunities is a valuable experience.
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