An energy for energy: Welcoming Daniel Burmester back to ECS

We are delighted to announce that a former PhD student with a passion for renewable energy has returned to the School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) as a lecturer in exactly that subject.

After studying Electronic and Computer Systems Engineering at undergraduate level, Daniel Burmester also completed his doctorate in Renewable Energy Systems at ECS under supervisor Dr Ramesh Rayudu. Renewable energy is energy from a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind or solar power.

While he’s always had a passion for electronics, Daniel’s PhD research focused on creating residential renewable energy systems with the aim of making renewable energy financially viable for homeowners. Now he even lives off the grid with just solar power - and wants to lead the fight against climate change for his daughter’s generation.

“In New Zealand, selling power back to the grid is not economical,” Daniel says. “But if we can break it down to deliver a system that saves people money within a reasonable time frame, it will be an incentive for people to switch to carbon-neutral options to run their homes.”

Daniel credits being awarded a summer scholarship project in his third year with igniting his passion for all things renewable energy, as it was then that his ethics and research interests aligned for the first time, changing the whole focus of his studies.

“The project was to install a micro wind turbine at Victoria - and I enjoyed delving deeper into the subject later when I was awarded a Victoria Doctoral Scholarship to do my PhD,” Daniel says. “Most people know about climate change, but they feel like they can’t make a difference on an individual level.

“To get value for money from a solar installation, the best bet for a homeowner is to use as much of their produced power as possible. The system I worked on shifts around background household appliances to make the most of solar power being produced throughout the day, and to reduce the grid power consumed.”

Daniel later decided he would like to return as a lecturer to continue his research and pass on the knowledge he gained during his PhD, especially as renewable energy is advancing so quickly. There is now the opportunity to reduce New Zealand’s carbon footprint and reduce the power bill for the average home owner at the same time.

“There is just so much happening and so many research avenues in renewable energy,” says Daniel. “In just my first week in my new position I went to Opotiki to discuss solar energy options with local Iwi.

“I’m excited to be involved in research which has a positive effect on New Zealand’s environment and communities, and I’m also passionate about ensuring ECS students continue to have the same great opportunities I did.”