Department: Built Environments
Advisor: Dr. Hyun “Chris” Lee
My anticipated work will focus on the development of a digital-twin framework for energy equity in the built environment, particularly examining warehouse expansion in vulnerable communities. By utilizing satellite imagery, truck traffic, air quality, vegetation data, socioeconomic factors, and additional indicators, I will model how warehouse expansion contributes to compounded burden, disproportionate heat exposure, and additional vulnerabilities. This framework will compare a series of differing warehouse scenarios as to better identify the impacts of energy conscious efforts and additional mitigation strategies before they occur, which will better inform decision makers of the future. Therefore, this project directly aids in advancing CEI’s mission to accelerate clean energy adoption, as it demonstrates how clean energy initiatives can have positive impacts on the environmental and societal futures, creating an incentive to adopt this for the future.