Grid planning in Zambia
Geospatial planning for grid expansion.
Lusaka, Zambia
Bringing power to places the grid forgot.
I'm a rural electrification engineer working on grid expansion, mini-grids and climate policy across Sub-Saharan Africa. I care about energy access that is fair, resilient and built to last, and about turning waste into something useful along the way.
13countries where I've worked, studied or volunteered
2018first came to Zambia, as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kalomo
8+years working on energy access
2IEEE papers on second-life batteries
About
Engineer, organizer, climber.
I started out in Kalomo, Southern Province, as a Peace Corps Volunteer, working where sustainability, climate change and agriculture meet: fish farming, conservation farming and solar for a rural school. That's where I learned that energy is only useful if it fits the community it serves.
Since then I've worked across the whole chain: second-life batteries in California, mini-grids with rural cooperatives, national energy policy, and now grid expansion planning in Zambia.
My focus is equity, clean energy access and climate justice, with a soft spot for circular economy ideas. On weekends I'm usually on a rock somewhere, helping open up Zambia's first outdoor climbing routes.
Experience
Where I've worked
- 2025 to now
Energy Infrastructure Manager
Anzana Electric Group, Lusaka
Grid expansion planning and solar mini-grid development in Zambia.
- 2025
Energy Storage Advisor
PowerSwitch, remote
- 2024 to 2025
Rural Electrification Engineer
NRECA International, Lusaka
Helped launch two rural electric cooperatives and supported national off-grid policy.
- 2022 to 2024
Senior Battery Applications Engineer
ReJoule, Signal Hill, California
Second-life EV batteries for energy storage and microgrids.
- 2022 to now
Founder and Executive Director
Battery reuse for solar homes, and open tools for electrification planning.
- 2022 to 2024
Energy Advisor, volunteer
SolarBuddy
Repurposing second-hand solar panels for community microgrids.
- 2020 to 2022
Engineering Graduate Researcher
Villanova University
Battery reuse research in Fiji, offline learning devices for schools, and e-cooking as an Engineering for Change fellow.
- 2018 to 2020
Peace Corps Volunteer
Kalomo, Zambia
Sustainable agriculture and climate adaptation with rural farmers, and solar for a community school.
Selected projects
Things I'm proud of
Thirteen countries so far. Tap a country or a dot to see what I did there.
Cooperative mini-grids
Rural mini-grids owned by the communities they serve.
EV batteries for microgrids
Giving used EV batteries a second life in energy storage.
Prius batteries for Fiji
Reusing hybrid car batteries for rural solar homes. IEEE GHTC 2022
Second-life solar panels
Repurposing used panels for community microgrids, with SolarBuddy.
Electrification pathways
An open least-cost electrification model for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Publications and talks
- The repurposing of nickel metal hydride hybrid electric vehicle batteries for solar energy storage applications in rural Pacific Island communities. IEEE GHTC 2022.
- Challenges in deploying second-life battery systems: engineering, fire safety, UL certifications and NFPA requirements. Co-author, IEEE EESAT 2024.
- Panelist, IEEE GHTC 2021: Think Global, Act Local.
- Author, Engineering for Change.
Skills
- Rural electrification planning
- Mini-grid design
- Power systems and OpenDSS
- GIS and QGIS
- Python and data analysis
- Battery testing and BMS
- Financial modeling
- Energy policy and regulation
- Procurement and EPC management
- AutoCAD and Fusion 360
Education
- MS, Sustainable Engineering
Villanova University - BS, Electrical Engineering
Illinois Institute of Technology, power systems and energy policy - Study abroad, energy and natural resources law
Reykjavik University, Iceland School of Energy
Off the clock
Climbing in Zambia
Zambia has incredible rock and almost no climbing routes. We're changing that.
Zambia has a growing climbing scene. Lusaka has a climbing gym, Pa Mitengo, and I'm glad it's there. Outside the city, we've been exploring crags and putting up new routes.
The map below has the crags we climb, the ones we've scouted, and every steep piece of rock my model could find. If you climb and you're coming through Lusaka, get in touch.
The crag map
Finding rock with GIS
Nobody had mapped Zambia's rock for climbing, so I built a model. It takes 30 m SRTM elevation data for the whole country, finds every slope steeper than 40 degrees, groups the steepest cliffs into areas and joins them with district and geology. Then we drive out and check. Some are choss, some become crags.
Six of the nine places we've been fall inside an area the model flagged. Turn on the layers to explore the 159 areas and the raw steep slopes, and tap a crag for photos.
Let's talk.
Get in touch about rural electrification, mini-grids, battery reuse or climbing in Zambia.