Amanda James

My return to graduate school was motivated by an interest in energy sustainability, how it impacts our world and the future. As an engineer, I seek not only to find interesting scientific problems, but how to solve them.

As a graduate research assistant at the University of Vermont, I am working to design and implement a cooperative, intelligent microgrid demonstration system for Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, VT. A microgrid is a collection of small electric energy generators located near the point of electricity consumption and connected to an existing electric utility distribution infrastructure. While some microgrids exist for fairly large facilities, such as university campuses, microgrids are less common at the scale of a smaller facility, such as a small national park. Because Marsh Billings Rockefeller NHP is particularly interested in developing local energy resources, we set out to design a microgrid system for this location that would facilitate the use of local resources and allow for the addition of new resources without major design changes to the existing infrastructure.

When completed, our project will collect data for future analysis of how informing a consumer of real-time environmental and economic costs could affect energy consumption decisions. Labels show where your sweater was knitted, where your apple was grown, where the beer you drink was brewed. When you turn on the lights to your house, there is no label showing where or how your energy was made. Conscientious consumers are becoming increasingly aware of where their fuel was grown, blown, shone or burned. In order to allow for more mindful energy consumption, there must be technology to bring the true cost of energy to the consumer and provide them the ability to make immediate decisions about how to reduce their energy costs.

When I am not at school, I am passionate about volunteering with conservation groups, climbing, running and maple syrup.