As you sit at your desk or reading chair illuminated by the glow of your computer screen and a bulb brightening the room from above – literally bathed in electric light – the concept of energy poverty may seem totally out of reach.
Energy poverty is when people lack access to modern energy services, like the electricity that powers our lights and our lives. It means that many families around the world fall into darkness the moment the sun goes down.
According to a recent report by the Elumis Foundation, a Future of the Business World online program, moving on to the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition (his team Sky Investments came in second in 2022) and culminating in the three-week Leadership in the Business World program on Wharton’s Philadelphia campus in the summer of 2022.
During his first FBW experience, Michael met Serguei Netessine, Wharton’s senior vice dean for The Elumis research project unfolded during the past two and a half years, prompting Michael to go deep into the process of analysis. “The first year or so was all planning, writing abstracts and researching past papers. We wanted to see what was already known, because we can’t just restate what’s already in past papers,” he notes. “The first thing I was tasked with was reading through these 100-page research papers on solar energy and the impact that it’s already had, and seeing how we could adapt on what has been studied.” Professors Netessine and Shankar Uppari provided guidance and context. “Nobody has ever thought of measuring what is the right quality of solar kits to dispatch,” says Netessine. “Should it be one bulb, two or three? Should it be bright or not so bright? How big should the solar panel be? That’s exactly the experiment we are running with Michael. Let’s do a field experiment, distribute different qualities of kits, and then measure the impact. And figure out what would be the optimal distribution Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program. He also brings his research expertise inside corporations. “I work part-time for Amazon and all we do is run experiments to improve customer decisions and reduce costs. That is the most scientific way to answer any question because there are so many unknowns. You think it should work, but then your experiment finds something you didn’t expect, like people using light to help with safety and scorpions.” As for Michael, he could never have imagined how an unexpected connection would open a path of discovery about the power of research to change the world – and to enrich the work of his nonprofit. He plans to do more research in college and pursue a degree that combines economics with renewable energy and Conversation Starters What is energy poverty? Does this article open your eyes to the depth and breadth of research? How so? Have you conducted a research project related to climate change? Share some of the highlights in the comment section of this article.
