Q&A with Boris Morin (He/Him), PhD student at University College Dublin, working with NexSys.
What is your NexSys research about and what are you working on at the moment?
My research is about finding periods of time when the generation of wind and PhotoVoltaic (PV) energy is low. We use the past meteorological variables to model how much wind and PV energy has been produced in the last couple of decades. We then analyse when the energy falls below a threshold for a period longer than one day. Furthermore, we want to repeat the same process by looking at future timescales.
How did you become interested in this research field?
I have always been interested in physics, so decided to do a bachelor degree in Physics. After completing that, I had the opportunity to study climate physics. It naturally made sense to me to further study this area of physics, as it relates strongly to a better future, and to my beliefs about the future of our world.
What is one interesting finding from your research or fact about your research area people may not know about?
The European Union wants to increase its share of renewable energy, and Ireland is massively investing in construction of wind and PV farms throughout the country. The great news about these two renewable energy sources is that they complement one another. The peak generation of PV energy is in summer, when the generation of wind energy is minimal. The inverse is also true, which is brilliant .
What is the wider relevance of your research to the energy transition?
We know we have to reduce our carbon footprint which will partly be done using renewable energy sources for our electricity. My research is about making sure it is possible to do so by looking at the risk brought by those weather-dependent energy sources on energy availability .
What is something people may find surprising about you?
In 2022, I crossed the Atlantic on a 10-metre sail boat from the Bahamas all the way to the Azores. I travelled with a 55 year old man for more than a month. The best part is that it was my first time sailing and I loved it .