Graduation Date: June 2009
Degree(s): B.S. Mechanical Engineering

As a member of the Energy & Resources Team at RMI, John worked primarily on the Solar Value Chain effort. This project aims to drive higher adoption of solar photovoltaic technology, and takes a variety of approaches toward reducing installed costs of PV and stimulating demand for the technology. During his fellowship, John contributed to this effort through a diverse mix of projects.

After getting acclimatized on a company hike up a 14,000 ft peak, he worked with an industry client to identify the cost implications and value proposition for siting a large PV power plant far from the demand center. This work transitioned into a deeper analysis of the implication of PV project size on utility planning and economics.

He also helped develop a proposal for an innovation workshop to reduce installed costs of PV through a radical re-design of the solar balance-of-systems. This workshop was designed to gather innovative design minds to help the solar industry reconsider their approach to installing PV.

"I was able to put the learning I’d done at Stanford to work in tackling high-level challenges confronting the energy industry. I was forced to think outside the typical engineering "problem-set" mentality, to understand the implications of the work and target messaging to reach select audiences."

John DuPont

"It works two ways for us. First, the Fellows provide energy and enthusiasm and are good contributors to projects that can benefit from cheap labor. At the same time, the fact that the Fellowship is funded by MAP allows us to be flexible, letting the Fellow participate in site visits and meetings not directly related to his or her focus. Second, the Fellows help to increase broader awareness of RMI and help disseminate our ideas. Fellows who end up taking jobs elsewhere after leaving RMI often remain connected to RMI at some level, which is good for our organization."

Sam Newman, Consultant
Rocky Mountain Institute