Lea Svendsen works as an associate professor at the University of Bergen. She holds a PhD in climate dynamics and has been involved with Climate Futures almost since its inception, including as a member of the steering committee. She has now taken over the responsibility of coordinating the work in the Renewable Energy Node.
Lea researches climate variation and is particularly interested in internal climate variability—how the climate changes on its own without external influences. These natural changes can cause variations in weather and climate over relatively short periods, which is relevant for sectors like the power industry when making decisions that affect power production.
The energy node currently has four active partners: Statkraft, Eviny, Småkraft, and Å Energi. The main focus is on hydropower and wind power, and the node has many small, concrete projects. Some of the projects deal with how to use climate and weather data to plan operations in the short term, on a day-to-day basis. For example, researchers are looking at how Yr’s 21-day forecast can be used in small hydropower plants. Other projects look at trends over time for a more long-term perspective when expanding infrastructure for power production. The node primarily addresses issues in Norway but has also had projects in Brazil.
– We are now entering a future where we will replace several of our energy systems with renewable energy. The combination of wind, solar, and water is exciting. Wind and solar need to be used as they are generated, while hydropower can be stored until it is needed. This is one of our overarching issues going forward,” says node leader Lea Svendsen.
