It's Judy Kim from Columbia University!!! Judy has been with GENI for about a month (summer 2011), and it is our honor to have her working on such a great project: "Streamlining Solar Power Purchase Agreement (SPPA) for New York." Having a chance to talk to her about how her project is going, we can't help being awed by her bright attitude, passion and enthusiasm on the potential of SPPA and how it would benefit the business, simplify the process of installing solar panels etc... Currently Judy is working on 5 buildings in New York, but with her knowledge and devotion for a better environment, certainly that number won't stop at five. Judy's summer hasn't been spent exclusively on research; she has had time to experience San Diego's beautiful beaches and Mexican food as well. Thank you, Judy, for becoming a part of GENI and inspiring us with your passion. What a beautiful contribution you have made!

Bonjour! It's GENI's honor to introduce Arnaud Foucault, our research intern from Ecole d'ingénieurs généralistes (EIGSI), La Rochelle, France. Arnaud has been working at GENI for about 2 months and since then, he has been working hard to answer the question: "Is 100% Renewable energy possible in France?"
After seeing the disaster at FUKUSHIMA's nuclear plants, Arnaud refused to give up his quest, though somewhat unpopular, to show French and other countries that they are able to push renewable energy from 80% probability to optimal 100%. "It's time to change; we can no longer delay this movement to the clean energy sector."
In even a short conversation with Arnaud, we can see the passion in his words and the urgency of the message that he's trying to send to French government and public. We are waiting for some good news from France, and someday when we see all the infrastructure and facilities in France running with 100% clean energy, we will know it was our Arnaud who made the contribution to the difference. Thank you, Arnaud, for such an amazing work you doing here.

Charlie Chu from Hong Kong, China, is another intern which GENI wishes to introduce you to today. From the first moment we looked at Charlie's resume, we knew he was perfect for GENI. After graduating from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor's degree in Physics, Charlie chose to extend his horizon of knowledge at UCSD. Therefore, as Charlie is on his way to getting his Master's Degree in Material Science, he's also doing research at GENI on the "Comparison of the performance between different solar energy systems." Looking at the fast moving trends of clean energy and especially solar industry, Charlie would like to use his extensive knowledge to focus on efficiency comparison and cost analysis of different methods, optimizing the results. The topic requires such a deep and comprehensive knowledge, that we are really lucky to have someone like Charlie work on this. Charlie also revealed his future plan after getting his Master's Degree;, he would like to get his PhD. Wow! His passion for learning and his strong will to overcome all the challenges of language and culture is admirable. We at GENI want to say "Thank You," Charlie, for being with us. We believe that with your strong will and passion, you will go far in life. We wish you all the best in your future, Charlie!

A month may not be so long, but what Jillian Du has done with us is fantastic! As a sophomore from UCSD, she is learning about Environmental Policy and more. During this summer, Jillian has worked with us to extend her knowledge with the research on "100% potential renewable Energy in Las Vegas." Because Jillian cares so much about Urban Planning and Environment, she can see the abundant potential in Las Vegas of not only the exciting nightlife and extravagance but also the potential for solar and geothermal energy. Her project's focus is on sustainability in Las Vegas, using new technology and making it more energy-conservative. Who knows; maybe in the near future, we might be seeing the Las Vegas billboard being lit with renewable and clean energy. Studies show that the Nevada SolarOne project can provide double the annual power output of the Hoover Dam. How amazing is that right? This is GENI's 25th anniversary year, and her beautiful work has made a significant contribution to what GENI about today. Thank you, Jillian, for devoting your effort and knowledge.

It's GENI's honor to have Lazare Chevalier, an engineering student from CESI, France, to help us answer the question "Is 100% renewable energy possible in South Africa?". Born in Congo, Lazare sees this as a significant opportunity to learn more about his origins as well as the potential for South Africa to catch up with the green and clean movement. With the abundant resource of sun, wind and especially the economic advantage, South Africa can make a big contribution to this development.
Through a small conversation with Lazare, we can see the warmth, kindness and an excellent critical thinking he inherited fromhis Congolese bloodline. Someday when South Africa has 100% renewable energy, we will know Mr. Chevalier's beautiful work at GENI has contributed to that.

It's easy to spot Kim Pham at our organization with her nice tan and big smile . From Philadelphia, Kim is now a student of USD Law School; quite impressive, isn't it? At GENI, Kim applies her knowledge of the law system to the environment under the project "Streamlining Transmission Policy." Understanding the vital placeing of law as the infrastructure for any changes or movement, Kim spends her valuable time and effort doing research on the policies which can simplify transmission process and make positive changes in the environmental law system.
We are so grateful for having you here and being with us in the journey of making this a cleaner, better place.

 

From Nantes (France), Florian Derop actually comes from the same school as Arnaud; Ecole d'ingénieurs généralistes (EIGSI) in La Rochelle . He has found a little time to share with us the project he is working on: "Is 100% Renewable Energy Possible in UK?" With his deep insight, Florian saw the potential benefit in economy and environment if we can move forward to the age of clean and renewable energy. However, it's vital to learn that we need the cooperation of the government and the people to make the change. Living in San Diego for three months, Florian said this has been such a valuable experience because of the  beautiful weather, nice working environment, and the flexibility of choosing his favorite project to work on.
Guess what Florian? It has been a valuable opportunity to have you here and help us make the list of nations that can have 100% renewable energy longer and longer. Merci beaucoup!!!

Don't let the serious look in this picture fool you; Jasper Geipel-a social butterfly - can be easily spotted at GENI with his big laugh and bright attitude. Born and raised in Germany, Jasper decided to start his journey in learning by attending university in France, and now he's here at GENI, in beautiful San Diego. Jasper is working on how to maximize the investment in renewable energy. With his strong competence in languages - German, French, English and some Spanish - Jasper can make a great contribution to spreading the concept and importance of the Clean Energy sector. If you have the opportunity to talk with Jasper, you can feel his strong passion for knowledge, energy and thirst for cultures which light up the mood and atmosphere at GENI. After his project with GENI in San Diego, his next destination will be Africa, where he has always wanyed to compare the differences and broaden his insight into cultures. Jasper, GENI would like to say 'thank you' for choosing us as a partner on your journey of learning and let you know it's a great honor to have you here.

"привет!" (Hello) from Maria Tseslyukevich. All the way from Russia, Maria has been here for a couple of weeks and has been helping translate the GENI webpage into Russian! Maria has an accounting background for an energy firm back home, so hopefully she can use her knowledge and experience to help GENI record, analyze and process our financial and business transactions in the near future. GENI is so proud and very grateful to have Maria here spreading with passion the words of GENI to Russia. Therefore, when you see the Russian flag on our GENI website; you'll know it's Maria's beautiful work. Once again, thank you, Maria for choosing to be here with us at GENI.

From La Rochelle, France, Guillaume Sauvadon is a graduate student from School of Engineering, EIA CESI in Angoulêmee. During his time working at AlStorm, a train building company, he realized that the government needs to do something to reduce carbon emissions. Therefore, inspired by GENI's objectives and vision, he chose to be here and work on the project: "Monetization of Carbon." It's vital to set quotas for carbon emissions in the EU, and his project may be helpful in showing the government, not only in France but also in theUS, what they're missing. As a citizen of the new generation, Guillaume is aware of the importance of giving back to the community and the environment. Being part of the GENI organization has given him a deeper insight into the government's role in controlling and reducing carbon emissions.
Thank you, Guillaume, for the effort and work you have done here at GENI. We're so glad to be the place where you can find your passion and make it come true!

Ahn-nyung-ha-se-yo!!! That's how you say hello in Korean, from our team member Eunkyoong Shin, also known as Sasha!!! Also attending UV Riverside, Sasha is working on the Marketing Team as a specialist in Google AdWords. Since working here, GENI has become a part of Sasha's life in San Diego: beautiful weather, nice workplace atmosphere, kind and funny co-workers especially in her marketing team... "It was a great chance to improve my English and learn more about the environment issues also," Sasha said. A little shy and timid, but trust me, once you talk to Sasha, you can see how sweet and kind she is. Thank you, Sasha, for coming all the way from Korea and being with us here at GENI! You played a great part in making our organization more visible in the Cyber-world!

Guillaume Bedoya is getting his Master's of Engineering at Industrial Systems Engineering School, EIGSI, in La Rochelle, France. This summer, Guillaume is reaserching "Is 100% renewable energy possible in US?"; as topic he has been passionate about: energy and environment. In only a few months in San Diego, Guillaume has had a great chance not only to broaden his knowledge but also to experience a great summer in America. Thank you for being here with GENI.

This is Shayla Woodhouse - our intern from Northern Arizona University!!! Shayla has been here since May 16th, and since then, she has made lots of progress on the project "Is 100% Renewables Possible in Chile?" While at GENI, she is has been able to further her knowledge of renewables, energy, and Chile itself. Moreover, the diversity of interns here has given her the opportunity to meet people from many other cultures and countries. In short, it has been a interesting experience for Shayla.

 

Phuong Nguyen our intern from UCSD!!! As a student majoring in Environmental System, Phuong is looking at the potential of off-shore wind energy in California. As a result, his project is "Power output for Wind in SoCal - why not use more?" to show the public and the government the availablility, safety and greater efficiency of an alternative to fossil fuel especially coal for producing electricity. Working with GENI is proving to be a great opportunity for Phuong to broaden his knowledge in what he's been interested in and studied.
GENI really appreciates what a great effort you've put to the project. And hopefully one day soon in the future, when we see rows of wind mills built along the coast, we will know Phuong made a contribution to making it real! Thank you Phuong!

Say hello... or rather goodbye to Thao our Vietnamese intern who has been with us for almost 3 months now. She will be going back to school majoring in International Business with a Marketing and French specialty.
She first came to GENI through an online search. GENI´s mission and vision inspired her to learn more about renewable energy. Thao has been working in the Marketing area delivering the latest Energy News every day through Facebook and Twitter.
Since being here, she has learned that the Clean Energy Sector is not only a trend but has become fundamentally important. Thao has also gained experience in using media platforms as marketing for the organization.
What she most likes about GENI is the flexibility in working hours, the possibility of meeting new and international people and learning more about them and their projects.
So we wish you all the luck and success and will definitely miss your being around!

Hamid from Iran is taking his Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering at UCSD, and meeting-up with Peter at his school has become a great opportunity for Hamid to do his research at GENI. With his past experience working for a Desalination Plant, Hamid chose to bring his technical knowledge into the project "Solar Desalination Plants." We bet you're wondering what Desalination is, aren't you? As Hamid explained, this process can remove salt and other minerals from seawater to produce fresh water. What is special about this project is that it not only produces more fresh water but is also run by solar energy and not traditional fuel. Although there are certain limitations, this project can be a significant step for nations in North Africa and Middle East where freshwater and clean energy is still limited.
Thanks to your research, policymakers and governments will be able to go further in making a better decision for their nations and humanity in general; Thank you, Hamid, for your time and effort at GENI; you and your work will be remembered and appreciated.

"Hola" directly from Mexico, Paola is our Marketing Coordinator. She has been working closely with Thao and Sasha for all social media and marketing strategies at GENI. She has been with us for several months now and came across GENI while doing an online search for volunteer work. Because she has always been interested in green energy and finding ways to contribute, (and besides being very close to her home) she decided to come and work with us.
She is a Marketing major from the Tec de Monterrey and loves to come to GENI because she gets to learn, gain experience and meet interesting new people from around the world. Now with Sasha and Thao gone, the responsability lays on her, but she really enjoys her job so doesn't mind it at all. Great to have you here and we are sure you will be able to keep up the good work!

Ben Flores has just started at GENI, and we are very happy to have him. Originally from Kansas City, Ben graduated with a degree in piano performance but then decided that was not the direction for him. He decided to buy a one-way ticket to China and start from scratch. Eventually, he started working for Human Rights Audit (ISA-800) to make sure companies met the basic standards for Chinese workers. After that, he became a consultant and a couple of years later, he and his wife decided to move back to the US. They chose San Diego because of the weather and because of the Energy Industry here. Ben will be working here as a Business development manager involved with one of the biggest GENI projects, the WRSC, getting the word out of what the project is and bringing in the clients. So the best of luck Ben! We are sure you will do a fantastic job and soon we will have a waiting list :)

Hello Julie Alberti!! Julie is a native Californian, moved to the San Diego area with her husband 20 years ago.  She found GENI through a volunteer agency and decided to stay because she was offered volunteer work in her line of expertise which is Project Management.  Many people assume that volunteering is something that only helps those in need.  That is a common misconception about volunteering.  Volunteering can help many people, not just those in need.  “Volunteering at GENI has given me the opportunity to learn about the Renewable Resources field, as well as meet and interact with Interns from all around the world”.  “Working with people who show excitement and great appreciation of my assistance reinforces my desire to donate my time and efforts”.  GENI is very grateful to have you here Julie.

Last but not least, Rubi Trevino. She relocated a couple of months ago from Dallas, Texas where she was working as Senior Admissions Councelor at Texas Woman’s University.
Having a Masters in Business Administration she came to SanDiego searching for new challenges andfound GENI’s organization. She found GENI’s mission and goals to fit her own as she has become increasingly interestedin renwable and clean energy. She could not have come at a better time for GENI, as we were seeking for a Grant Writer/Fundraiser. She will be heading up the Grant Writing and Fundraising team to help GENI reach the next level of financial support we have so long been working for. What Rubi likes about GENI is that it’s a very confrotable environemt to work in and getting to know and working along side people from around the world. So “Thank You” Rubi for choosing to join us in our journey and for what your invaluable contibution will mean to GENI.