David Rothblum Rose Hills
A Data-Driven City-Scale Electricity Demand Model
As our society focuses on reducing the drivers of global climate change, a primary goal is to look at the ways in which we can generate and use electricity in a more efficient and environmentally friendly manner. These challenges require broad and complex solutions. However, in order to implement these, it is imperative that broad swaths of the population be well informed in the nuances and technical complexities of electrical power systems. That is where Griddle comes in. The brainchild of researcher Michael Cohen, Griddle is an educational game that promises to bring realistic simulations that explore the challenges of reinventing power systems to a broader population.
For my research, I will be working to develop a data-driven electricity end-use model for cities based on their population, economic, land-use, and climate characteristics, among others. While the model will be used for simulation within the game, there are other practical benefits to determining electricity use with this resolution. Though federal and state authorities direct energy policy, there has been a recent push for municipalities create energy policies that focus on sustainability. With a city-level demand model, authorities may be able to project the effect of policies and development on their electricity consumption.
Message To Sponsor
It is a privilege and an honor to be apart of the SURF Rose Hills Summer Class of 2015, and I would like to thank the Rose Hills Foundation and the SURF committee for this opportunity. Research is an important part of any academic career, but also a fundamental step in lengthening the arc of human knowledge. The support from the Rose Hills Foundation allows me to partake in this important activity and help me reach my full academic potential, for which I am very grateful. I look forward working with and learning from the other SURF fellows and further exploring my project.