Zheng Wang, Peking University
Zheng, where did you grow up, and how old were you when you first discovered a love for energy/economy?
I grew up in Yan’an, Shaanxi Province, China, where “water can be burned (oil)” was recorded during the Eastern Han Dynasty (around 32 AD) in China, and where the first oil well in China, built in 1905, was in my elementary school. Since I was a child, I have had close contact with fuel and energy, which has given me a certain understanding of the role of energy in industrial development and socio-economic progress. The fact that energy is one of the main sources of income for the local government has made me curious about the real role of energy in the socio-economy.
What draws you to your current field – what makes you passionate about it?
With industrial development and the threat of climate change, traditional fossil energy sources are gradually being restricted, the industrial layout of my hometown is facing a major transformation, and renewable energy plants such as wind power and photovoltaic are becoming more and more common here. I feel firsthand the constraints on the development of such resource-dependent cities, a problem faced by many cities in China, and I want to contribute to the search for a practical and feasible path to energy development. My background in physical geography can also provide technical support for energy development planning, and some valuable data can help, so I expect I will produce some interesting results, and I am passionate about it.
Can you give our community a brief overview of your research project that you are pursuing while based at the Harvard-China Project?
I plan to first calculate the capacity potential of Chinese onshore and offshore wind power under various scenarios (e.g. grid connection, diverse energy storage) at different times (2030,2060), and perform spatial optimization of Chinese wind power utilization efficiency and economic costs at different altitude levels (100m-140m), and eventually perform spatial bidding analysis of Chinese wind power and PV costs. In addition, I plan to combine climate change models and land surface model simulations for the analysis of the impact of climate change (e.g., extreme weather) on renewable energy and to consider the calculation of capacity requirements for long-term energy storage for wind-PV-storage systems in different regions.
Where do you hope to take this research – will you expand upon it?
I will continue my research at Harvard and Peking University, and will continue to expand my research in the geography and economics of renewable energy.
What are your career goals? What will you pursue next?
In the future, I plan to continue my academic research, first by publishing the results I have already obtained, and then I plan to pursue postdoctoral research or find a faculty position.
How do you hope the Harvard-China Project will aid your research?
Every researcher at HCP is a role model for me, full of seriousness and open-mindedness in pursuing the frontiers of science. "There is strength in numbers," as the saying goes, and I am willing to offer my GIS and RS skills and data to work together to complete more meaningful topics and reach more interesting and problem-solving conclusions.
What have you enjoyed most since your arrival?
I've been running along the Charles River four days a week and I've been to Tufts University, MIT University and other famous locations. I was impressed by the wonderful sunrises and sunsets, the first snowfall, the eye-opening sizeable dose of culture, and the kind neighbors and friends, so I fell more and more in love with Cambridge and look forward to working with our new friends in the group.