Thank you to BrightNight for a wonderful gap year opportunity

During my gap year, I had the opportunity to intern at BrightNight, a global renewable power company providing clean and reliable power solutions for utility, commercial, and industry customers. BrightNight is playing one of the most important roles in the clean energy transition - getting wind, solar, and energy storage projects on the grid, providing critical capacity and load-balancing to maintain electricity reliability, while also creating a multitude of clean energy jobs.

What drew me to BrightNight is their emphasis on developing state-of-the-art data analytics and optimization techniques, positioning them at the forefront of the energy industry. One of BrightNight’s key differentiators is PowerAlpha™, a fully in-house developed platform that leverages “AI, data analytics, and cloud computing to model, optimize, and operate solar, wind, and energy storage plants with industry-leading economics.”

At BrightNight, I was part of the Energy Analytics team, the core team responsible for delivering data-driven analysis to support project decisions. I utilized the PowerAlpha™ model and various data science, optimization, and analytical methods to develop internal tools and models for evaluating project uncertainty and revenue risk. I worked closely with the Origination team, to gain a deep understanding of customer needs and provide effective analytical information to support contract negotiations.

Check out some of the cool projects I worked on at BrightNight:

• Starfire - a 800 MW solar and storage project, transforming one of the largest coal mines in the U.S. into a renewable power project that meets the region’s energy needs and creates hundreds of local jobs
• Box Canyon - a 300 MW solar plant in Pinal County, Arizona, which can produce enough electricity annually to power 77,000 Arizona homes and business, offsetting approximately 600 metric tons of CO2 emissions every hour
• Greenwater - a 200 MW Li-ion battery system in Pierce County, Washington that optimizes existing transmission infrastructure and provides critical load-balancing capabilities
• Mortlake - a hybrid 360 MW solar plant and 600 MW battery storage system in Victoria, Australia
• Three Sisters - a 300 MW solar plant and 300 MW of battery storage in Cochise County, Arizona

The Brightnight team at the Box Canyon Solar Project groundbreaking, a 300-megawatt solar power plant in Pinal County, Arizona

During my time at BrightNight, I witnessed many important milestones, including BrightNight being named a 2023 Top Startup by LinkedIn, the opening of BrightNight’s headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida, and the groundbreaking of BrightNight’s Box Canyon project.

I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to BrightNight and the incredible team I had the pleasure of working with. It has been a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the energy industry. I’m excited to see the continued innovations and impact BrightNight will make in the field!