Tell us about yourself. Who are you? I am Hassim Shah. I am doing my master’s in Renewable Electricity Production with Uppsala University, Sweden. I am an Indian. For the past one and half years, I was staying in Uppsala. Now for doing my master thesis, I have relocated to Härnösand. I am a person who loves traveling and like to know about new food, culture, and traditions.
How did you find your master thesis? While selecting a topic for my thesis, I was very sure about one point,’ the thesis must create a value that helps for my fellow members’ well-being. Climate change is real. A significant reason for it is the CO2 emission from the industries due to the combustion of fossil fuels to meet the heat needs. I started to research why industries are still relying on fossil fuels, why can’t they switch to clean energy. I decided to select an industrial sector and do a techno-economic analysis to integrate solar energy for its thermal requirements. Through LinkedIn, I came to know about Absolicon Solar Collector AB and their parabolic trough collector capable of generating heat for industrial purposes. On discussing my proposal with them, the company gave me an excellent opportunity to do my master thesis with them.
What is your master thesis about? My master thesis is a techno-economic analysis on the integration of solar thermal collectors in the dairy industry. The work tries to optimize the solar thermal system to get the minimum Levelized Cost of Heat (LCoH). Also, finding the best integration point for solar thermal collectors in the steam network that gives the least LCoH and CO2 emission.
What do you do during the day ? My day starts with a nice one-hour walk through the beautiful Härnösand city. From morning 10 to evening 5, I will focus on my thesis work. At that time, I will be contacting officials from companies worldwide to collect data for my thesis. A regular meeting with my colleagues and supervisors always keeps me on track for my work. Researching is an inevitable part of the thesis work, so I always try to find some time. To relax and feel better, I spend some time cooking with my friends, where we discuss N number of things around the world.
What is it like to carry out your master thesis during a pandemic? Everyone is passing through a hard time. Due to the pandemic, most of my works are being done at home. My company has created a schedule that limits the number of workers at the office in a day. So I can go to the office a couple of days a week and see my colleagues in real. I think that helps me to be more productive.
What do you want to do after graduation? After my graduation, I want to become an energy consultant in the renewable energy sector. I want to find solutions for challenging problems and be a part of a reputed company fighting against climate change.
What do you do in your free time? I usually go for a walk when I am free and try to take photos of amazing things that I see around me. I love watching movies and web series that are based on real-life stories.
