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Brendan has first-hand experience with an unreliable energy supply. He reflects on his challenging childhood: “Citizens in developed countries tend to take for granted having a constant supply of fuel for automotive transport and electricity for their houses. In South Africa there would be the occasional blackout, perhaps one every other month. When we left to move to London, it had gotten progressively worse – to the point that the state-owned power firm more or less gave up and introduced rolling blackouts. Local communities would have a set time, 2-3 times per week, where homes didn’t have electricity for hours at a time. The government would blame legacy electrification problems from the Apartheid government. Yet rather than invest in upgrading the power system infrastructure, the government continued to let politics get in the way. Years later, there are still issues with the country’s REIPPPP (renewable energy independent power producers procurement programme), and rolling blackouts were reintroduced for a time… so progress is still slow.” Wanting to improve conditions in his beloved homeland, he knew the best way to give back was to train in the skills needed to contribute to solving South Africa’s ongoing energy problems. “And that has led me here!”

The Master's in Renewable Energy provides in-depth knowledge of all major renewable technologies and allows specialisation in the areas of top interest. “I really appreciate this aspect of the programme. That you can choose what fits you instead of being forced into a cookie cutter. My personal direction is more of an innovator of the future – to build a broad knowledge base; that’s not just one technology or idea. It involves creating my own huge skillset and then being able to collaborate and use other people’s skillsets to get things done.”

He spent a year at IST in Lisbon and then a semester at KTH in Stockholm – including winter and summer schools in Barcelona.  The summer school course at Europe’s leading business schools (ESADE Business School) was one of the highlights of the programme for Brendan. He shares, “The whole experience was amazing, from the dorm-like accommodations to the project-based courses. You worked/lived so closely with your teammates, getting to know them so well. And the balance of the classes and the projects, where you’re introduced to new ideas and concepts… it was incredible, and I’m still in touch with the friends I made there. Also, an overlooked benefit of the programme is working with a diverse group of individuals. This introduces you to working cultures you may not have been exposed to. After studying/working in Los Angeles, Asia and Europe – I now feel prepared to work successfully with anyone.”

Brendan happily shares how the network has been invaluable so far: “I believe that, first and foremost, EIT InnoEnergy as wider community provided me with my closest friend base.” Crucial when moving to a new country! He initially joined the CommUnity to expand his network but then took a more active role once he saw the opportunity to help these students, graduates and business partners who were all connected with a purpose. “What a great way for me to give back to the network that has given me so much, to help connect people working towards a brighter future for all!” He took a position in his local CommUnity and is now the Manager of the CommUnity Post– which provides an avenue for them to share stories from class and projects alongside improving their communicating skills.

When Brendan heard about the NewClimate Institute, he knew that sounded like the perfect place to learn about governmental procedure regarding sustainable energy and policy. The Institute inspires action against climate change to support sustainable and climate-resilient development through research and analysis. His work there entailed building and improving a framework to evaluate climate governance in various countries. Brendan says, “I felt very fortunate to land this internship as I knew it would provide me with the experience in policy I would need, should I find myself in a position to be able to make changes at a governmental level later. This is what it’s going to take to drive change in South Africa because it’s a stagnant industry and technology isn’t going to alter that. Policy is. It has been a real eye-opener and validates that this is what I want to do for the future. It has also led to me working on my thesis here.”

His goal is clear, as he has been planning all along: “I’d like to work for a utility company to further develop my skillset in the field so I can one day return and give back. I also envision myself giving back to Africa as a whole by bringing continued development and unity to the continent, likely through working with one of the UN agencies.” But he offers some sage advice to those willing to put the time into planning their own future path. “Even if you never end up where you had planned, the exercise itself is invaluable, so why not have a dream or two and define a path to get there?”