A research project proposal by Media Lab director Dava Newman and research engineer Minoo Rathnasabapathy is among ten total projects selected for funding by the MIT Energy Initiative’s (MITEI) Future Energy Systems Center. The ten projects selected are aimed at accelerating decarbonization through system analysis and insights. Projects received a combined total of $1.75 million in funding.

Learn more about their research project proposal:

Enhancing infrastructure resilience

Renewable energy systems, which are critical for mitigating climate change, can also be highly susceptible to its impacts. Extreme weather events such as high temperatures, severe droughts, and flooding, can reduce the efficiency and lifespan of renewable energy installations and in turn affect energy supply and demand. This project plans to leverage advanced technologies such as satellite Earth Observation (EO) data, AI, and advanced data visualizations to inform the resilience of renewable energy infrastructure and site selection as severe climate-related events become more frequent.