This article is part of a series featuring Q&As with Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute (ROSEI)-affiliated researchers. Next up is Daniel Kammen, who was recently announced as the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of the Just Energy Transition in the Whiting School of Engineering’s Department of Civil and Systems Engineering (CaSE) and School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He is a ROSEI core faculty member and officially started at Hopkins on July 1.
How did you first get involved with or learn about sustainability?
Sustainability wasn’t something that was ingrained in me at an early age; I became passionate about it much later in life. I was a physics major in college, but I also wanted to become an astronaut. So, I did some of the training and courses to do that, but I didn’t pass the vision test that used to be a requirement.
Later, I worked in a technical role in Nicaragua before moving to East Africa, where I learned more about sustainability through the lens of energy.
Why are you passionate about sustainability/renewable energy?
Unfortunately, it is so easy to keep the passion going because we have made such little progress in sustainability and environmental justice since I started working! When I started in this field, the technical problems were the ones that reigned supreme. Nobody was talking about justice, which led to the “collective we” essentially creating a field for energy environmental justice because it was not nearly emphasized enough. 20 years later, this makes it easy to come to work: Making progress on energy environmental justice for people across the globe, regardless of race, gender and socioeconomic background.
How does your commitment to sustainability play out in your everyday life?
In terms of the bigger ticket items, for several years I have only had electric vehicles and have installed solar panels on the roof of my home. I have a stationary battery for my car in the garage, and I also became a vegetarian. However, I would say that I am far from living a full version of what I preach, though I am always trying to find new ways to do so.
Tell us about your research, and what aspects currently or in the future tie into sustainable energy efforts?
I do a few different threads of work that are linked at some level. The way I got into energy and sustainability was through the lens of the physics of power systems and the grid, so, I do a lot of modeling of the grid. I have a model that we run in more than 15 countries, including the United States, China, Nicaragua, and Kenya. I do a lot of power systems work: How to integrate renewables into the grid and take advantage of generation with renewables versus energy storage of different flavors.
Another thread of work is more theoretical and involves innovation. Do we know how to craft and nurture innovation? I start with a quantitative physics perspective by asking if there are metrics or ways to understand the returns on investment, and not just dollars, but also logistics, like setting up research labs and funneling students in. I have written a lot of papers about the process of innovation from a quantitative perspective.
Another theme that ties into all my work is how we can accelerate the different modes of energy access, so we aren’t just talking about the grid or bigger power plants. I do a lot of work on what I call mini grids, which are standalone power systems in Africa, as well as in rural areas in the southwest United States. There are a lot of design elements of the actual mini grids, but also advanced computing systems and control circuits that factor in.
Another theme that relates to my work is smart energy systems generally. Can you embed circuits and have feedback, so when some power lines go down, the circuit itself knows how to balance for that.
Lastly, one area I am very passionate about that covers all of this is energy justice, which focuses on race, gender, and socioeconomic factors. Inclusive redevelopment and environmental justice are very important.
Is there an article, book, or podcast that people can check out to help better understand the area you work in or your specific work?
If you go to YouTube, you can find plenty of talks that I have given, but if you want to learn more about the eclectic nature of what I do, I hosted a TV series on Netflix called Ecopolis. It is no longer on Netflix, but you should be able to find episodes elsewhere online. I served as a host and judge for this seven-part series in which different technologies were presented. I would evaluate their potential to drive sustainability further. The CGI and graphics look a little dated because it was from a decade ago, but it’s a good way to figure out what I work on.
What advice or suggestions do you have for students who want to pursue careers in sustainable energy?
This is something I am very passionate about, especially in under-sourced communities. I was recently in Cape Town for the largest conference for energy and climate youth in Africa. More than 2,000 people were there—all young people seeking opportunities in the sustainable energy field.
I would encourage people not to pick their major based off what they think will be useful to the field of sustainability. Study what you are most passionate about or what is interesting to you and there will almost surely be space in the sustainable energy field for you. It doesn’t matter if you are a civil and systems engineer, a data scientist, historian or sociologist, whatever your interest or skill set is, there will be a critical need for it. Follow your passion, look for opportunities at climate conferences or summer projects, and don’t adapt to the field. Bring your strengths and passion to the fight.
Why did you choose to join the Hopkins sustainable energy community?
There are several reasons, and I am viewing ROSEI as the vehicle to achieve many of the things I aim to at Hopkins. My skillset is in the energy field. ROSEI has a lot of talented faculty, and I see a lot of potential for the institute to grow. That is a challenge I am excited to take on: Helping ROSEI grow more into a variety of areas. The institute just has so much potential.
One reason I am coming to Hopkins from the University of California-Berkeley is that I believe the state of California is on a good path. They are phasing out the sale of non-electric vehicles, and the grid is green and getting greener. The story isn’t finished, but California is a place where new innovations will happen, but the path is already pretty set.
I don’t think the same can be said for Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, or the New England regions, and I want to help change that. The battle has shifted over the last decade from getting clean energy technologies more inexpensively to implementing policies. If you want to work on policy issues, Washington, DC is the place to be. So, for me, Hopkins’ location near Washington, DC was very appealing.
I have also long wanted to see a major US university, like Hopkins, open a physical brick-and-mortar campus in Africa. I see a potential school starting with a variety of research areas, including energy systems, ocean conservation, and management of energy and food, as well as land use, gender, and biodiversity. I would love to see programs like those become the launching pad for a JHU campus in Africa, and I am hoping to play a key role in that.