#42 - Mashael Yazdanie: "Doing the right things the right way" - how to holistically plan for sufficiency and renewable energy

The Grand Challengers Podcast

Mashael Yazdanie, Group Leader, Scientist and Lecturer at the Urban Energy Systems Lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Materials Science & Technology (Empa) traces her journey across the renewable energies towards more holistic thinking around energy, sustainability, society and sufficiency. We cover her projects in both the global north and south, key concepts such as planetary boundaries, sufficiency, efficiency and doughnut economics as well as the need to learn, unlearn and relearn if we want to become more adaptive and resilience in the face of the climate crisis.

Podcast Intro/Outro Song: Starsky by Alex Keren (Check out more of his tunes over on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vZ3lENfDLjkln8scBJ8mW)
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:59 Guest Intro and Solar Racing
5:58 Nature and energy?
9:50 Sufficiency, planetary boundaries and doughnut economics
20:31 Mashael's early renewables journey - Biogas Energy in Pakistan
29:58 Mashael's early renewables journey - Wind Energy
33:37 Mashael's early renewables journey - Tidal energy and the rest
36:35 Is there a favourite renewable?
38:01 Energy grid centralization vs. decentralization
42:30 Planning-support modelling & optimization
44:48 Understanding the breadth of modelling tools
46:49 Energy in West Africa - The Measures Project
54:28 The concept of 'Regret' in decision-making
1:01:56 Coming full circle to sufficiency
1:04:06 Learning, unlearning and relearning for the climate crisis
1:10:06 Mashael's future trajectory
1:14:30 Q&A Start
1:14:50 What does "innovation" mean to you?
1:16:00 Time management
1:20:34 Favourite childhood memory
1:21:26 Biggest challenge to date
1:23:45 Advice for young researchers
1:27:57 What would you most like to be rememnbered for?
1:30:16 Where can people find you?
1:30:58 Final message
1:33:06 Outro

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Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Guest Intro and Solar Racing (00:01:59)

3. Nature and energy? (00:05:58)

4. Sufficiency, planetary boundaries and doughnut economics (00:09:50)

5. Mashael's early renewables journey - Biogas Energy in Pakistan (00:20:31)

6. Mashael's early renewables journey - Wind Energy (00:29:58)

7. Mashael's early renewables journey - Tidal energy and the rest (00:33:37)

8. Is there a favourite renewable? (00:36:35)

9. Energy grid centralization vs. decentralization (00:38:01)

10. Planning-support modelling & optimization (00:42:30)

11. Understanding the breadth of modelling tools (00:44:48)

12. Energy in West Africa - The Measures Project (00:46:49)

13. The concept of 'Regret' in decision-making (00:54:28)

14. Coming full circle to sufficiency (01:01:56)

15. Learning, unlearning and relearning for the climate crisis (01:04:06)

16. Mashael's future trajectory (01:10:06)

17. Q&A Start (01:14:30)

18. What does "innovation" mean to you? (01:14:50)

19. Time management (01:16:00)

20. Favourite childhood memory (01:20:34)

21. Biggest challenge to date (01:21:26)

22. Advice for young researchers (01:23:45)

23. What would you most like to be remembered for? (01:27:57)

24. Where can people find you? (01:30:16)

25. Final message (01:30:58)

26. Outro (01:33:06)