Professional Writing
2022
Virtual Solar Storage Benefits All Ratepayers and Utilities
Solar Today, Summer 2022 Issue
I co-authored this piece with Dr. Tony Smith and published it as the cover article in the Summer 2022 issue of Solar Today, an industry magazine by run the American Solar Energy Society. It poses a reshaping of how we understand solar’s continued role in increasingly decarbonizing energy grids.
Based on our in-depth analyses of the historical performance of Secure Solar Futures’ existing solar arrays, we found that solar is able to reliably and predictably reduce peak demand in certain cases similarly to that of battery storage, both on individual customers’ bills and more broadly for the grid.
2021
Thermal Inequity in Richmond, VA: The Effect of an Unjust Evolution of the Urban Landscape on Urban Heat Islands
Sustainability, February 2021
This journal article was an extension of my undergraduate research into environmental justice issues that stem from air pollution and the urban heat island effect. While I contributed to some of the underlying analyses and the writing process, it was lead authored by fellow University of Richmond student Kelly Saverino.
It focuses on the intersection between exposure to extreme heat (via the urban heat island effect), land use decisions that cause it, and socioeconomic factors with which they are correlated. Some of the more prominent socioeconomic metrics include historic redlining, racial demographics, income, and educational attainment. The figure to the left maps the relationship between historic redlining and average afternoon temperature in Richmond.
2020
Assessing Inequitable Urban Heat Islands and Air Pollution Disparities with Low-Cost Sensors in Richmond, Virginia
Sustainability, December 2020
This article, which I lead authored, was the main product of my undergraduate research at the University of Richmond. I was advised by Dr. Todd Lookingbill and collaborated with students and researchers at UR, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Science Museum of Virginia to deploy a network of air quality and temperature sensors throughout Richmond.
Upon identifying eight sensors that had been recording long-term, consistent data, I analyzed spatial and temporal trends in particulate matter (PM2.5) and temperature readings to determine possible underlying reasons for significant patterns. This paper discusses the patterns that emerged and the broader landscape surrounding urban air quality issues around the world. The map to the left shows the average particulate matter readings from each sensor across the city of Richmond.
Mangrove Destruction and Climate Change on Colombia’s Pacific Coast
This was a review paper I wrote for a Global Sustainability class in my senior year at University of Richmond. It served as a case study into the compounding relationship between climate change and ecological destruction on Colombia's Pacific coast.
This was compiled as part of the Climate Change Atlas of the Americas project (within the Cambio Climático en Latinoamérica report) led by Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins in Santiago, Chile in collaboration with UR. The map to the left visualizes the dual impacts of climate change on mangrove ecosystems.
Part of Cambio Climático en Latinoamérica, September 2020
Pollinator-friendly Habitats: A No-Brainer for Solar Farms
Secure Solar Futures Blog, September 2020
This was a blog post I wrote as an intern with Secure Solar Futures. I dove into the current literature on pollinator-friendly solar array design (PFD) to understand its pros and cons as well as the situations in which it can best be applied. It explores the ecological benefits, PR and community engagement opportunities, and the ways in which Secure Solar Futures can best use PFD given the types of projects it develops within its business model.
Photo: Dennis Schroeder, NREL