What do you do at AAU Energy?

I am a PhD student in my second year in Frede Blaabjergs group. My PhD is a part of REPEPS project which is a combination of power electronics and power systems, and more specifically I work with reliability-oriented design of microgrids.

What has brought you to Colorado?

I knew that I wanted to spend some time abroad during my PhD studies, and I had some discussions with my supervisor, Frede, about what would be an interesting place to go to. We thought about different institutes across the US that work with renewable energy, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL, in Colorado is one of the most prestigious places. With help from Frede, we got in contact with my supervisor here, Dr. Jin Tan. She actually spent some time at AAU some years ago, so she was very positive towards receiving me as a PhD student, as she has insight into the university that I come from. Without my supervisors, it would not have been possible for me to come here, and I am very grateful for that and for their efforts in making it happen.

What are you working with in Colorado?

I came to the department at NREL on August 1st, and I am staying for three months. At the department, they mainly work with power systems, whereas my work focuses on power electronics, which makes it an interesting combination for both me and the department. Here, I am working on an industry-based project, where we investigate the impact of smart inverters on power systems.

What has the experience been like?

My stay in the US didn’t start well, as I was tested positive for corona virus shortly after my arrival. But since then, everything has been very nice, and it has been a great experience. The building where my office is located is sustainable, where solar energy, among others, is used in the offices which makes it a net zero building. I love that we not only do the research, but also show how it can be done in practice.

Are there any differences between the US and Denmark?

Something I have noticed is, that the work culture is a bit different in terms of the tone and hierarchy. At AAU, the structure is very flat, and the tone is unformal and relaxed, where it is a bit more professional here. That is not necessarily a bad thing, just a difference. Another thing is that the percentage of women working in engineering seems to be higher here.  

What have you gained already, and what are you hoping to gain from your stay?

Work wise I am still just very happy to be here and to experience what it is like working in a big facility and with experts within my field of research. I gain a lot from observing their approach to research and what they find important.

Personally, I am loving the Colorado lifestyle where everything is quite relaxed, and where the culture resembles Danish culture. Besides that, the weather here is amazing, and I love hiking in the mountains surrounding me and spending time in the beautiful nature in general. During the workdays, I don’t have much time, but I have a colleague who shows me different parts of Colorado during the weekends. I get to experience more of the beautiful nature as well as some traditional parts of American culture, which I am very excited about.

When I return to Denmark, I hope to continue the collaboration with dr. Jin Tan and NREL. As a result of their focus on power systems and my focus on power electronics, we have different perspectives, and we are able to have some great discussions. I feel like we can learn a lot from them, but I know that they are also looking forward to learning from us at AAU, specifically about how the aspect of power electronics fits into power systems.

Have your expectations been fulfilled?

Getting corona right upon arrival was not a part of my plan, but otherwise, definitely yes. I have been a bit surprised that there are still some Covid restrictions here, where we are pretty much back to normal in Denmark, but I am very pleased with the professional collaboration and life in Colorado in general.

Would you recommend it to others?

Yes definitely! I recommend studying abroad to anyone interested in gaining new perspectives on their research and work life, but also just to travel to experience other parts of the world. Everyone should travel to Colorado during autumn, it is the best time of the year, and you avoid the rain in Denmark.