Cleantech Stories
Rural Communities and Renewable Energy in Southwest Germany
After a long day of exploring the rural German countryside, there’s much to take away apart from how freaking cute 1-week old cows are. Our group’s thoughts about rural communities went from farming and conservatism to sustainable innovation and the … Read more
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy: Burch Cleantech Europe Tour
Today’s agenda centered around our visit to the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy (ISE), the largest solar research institute in Europe. Our visit started with a presentation from Professor Dr. Bruno Burger discussing pathways to a climate-neutral energy system focusing … Read more
Rieselfeld and Vauban: Bike Tour of Europe’s Most Sustainable City
By embarking on a cycling tour throughout the city of Freiburg, students in the Burch Sustainability Research Field Seminar were able to immerse themselves in the mobility and residential aspects of living in Europe’s most sustainable city. We rose at … Read more
Freiburg Germany: Renewable Energy, Rural Development, and Energy Cooperatives
Our morning began bright and early at 8:30 AM when a classmate, Kyle Daniels, gave us a briefing on what we should expect from the day: excursions full of renewable energies, rural development, and energy cooperatives. After breakfast, we hopped … Read more
Château Francais in Alsace on the Cleantech Europe Summer Trip
Yesterday evening, several Burch kids and I decided to hike up to the Schlossberg Observation Tower near our hotel in Freiburg. Today, I realized what a mistake that had been. Don’t get me wrong – the view of Freiburg from … Read more
Freiburg, Germany Burch Cleantech Europe Trip, Day One
The first day of class in Freiburg, Germany was definitely a whirlwind adventure, and certainly educational. Personally, my day started when I decided to roll out of bed 15 minutes before a 7 am run with some of the girls. … Read more
Opportunities and Challenges for Offshore Wind Development in NC
The UNC Cleantech Summit is an annual event that brings together experts and stakeholders from the clean technology and sustainability sectors to discuss the latest trends and innovations in these fields. As part of this year’s summit, I had the … Read more
Uncertainties in the Blue Carbon Space: A Conversation with Antonio Rodriguez
As blue carbon and other nature-based solutions become more and more prevalent in sustainability conversations, many are raising questions about the efficacy and value of these carbon offsetting projects. After attending invigorating panels on established and nascent blue carbon solutions … Read more
Empower Cleantech in NC with Anna J Siefken
The 2023 UNC Cleantech Summit included several tracks, including one called “Building Foundations for Cleantech in the Mid-Atlantic.” North Carolina has many resources that can propel the region into a nationally recognized powerhouse for cleantech, but what does that path … Read more
Opportunities and Challenges for Offshore Wind Development in NC
The UNC Cleantech Summit is an annual event that brings together experts and stakeholders from the clean technology and sustainability sectors to discuss the latest trends and innovations in these fields. As part of this year’s summit, I had the … Read more