While at UVM, recent PhD graduate Nawaf Nazir tapped into the university’s resources not only for his studies, but also for long-term energy solutions, thanks to an internship at the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). While at NREL, he worked on optimization of energy resources in the grid under large amounts of solar generation. “The major challenge here is the uncertainty in solar power due to cloud cover, etc.” he explains. “My work entailed using optimization techniques that account for uncertainty in renewable generation.”

Because of his work on renewable energy integration at UVM, Nazir was able to collaborate with researchers at NREL and eventually work there on “real-world problems,” he says. The experience also inspired him to apply for a position at Pacific Northwest National Lab, where he was previously an intern and where he will soon be starting a new job.  

“The most rewarding part of working at NREL was being able to collaborate with research scientists and to communicate my ideas,” says Nazir. This allowed me to get feedback from researchers working on practical problems and be able to propose my ideas to help solve some very complex challenges.”