Subido por Luis P Ubaque B

04 Motivation Letter

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Dear Members of the Selection Committee,
I am writing this letter because I am interested in applying for the Postgraduate Programme in Renewable
Energy of the University of Oldenburg. I am convinced that my background and my motivation will guide my
excellent performance in the courses and thesis project encompassed in the programme.
From the time when I completed my undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering, I felt pleasure and
affinity towards energy studies. Understanding and learning about its different transformation processes was
highly enjoyable to me. This led me to pursue a career in design for the Oil and Gas sector after I completed
my studies, as it was the only one in the country where I would be able to work with heat exchangers, cooling
towers and other systems that involve considerable energy transformations. After working in that industry for
several years, I feel the need for a change in my field of work. I want to learn to design environmentally
friendly and sustainable systems with renewable energy. My professional goal is to acquire the fundamental
knowledge that this master’s programme offers, to be able to work in research and development in the field.
There is great potential for renewable energy in Colombia. With an average wind speed of 9 m/s and a monthly
average of 6 kWh/m2 of solar radiation in some areas, the Colombian territory touches two oceans and is dotted
by volcanoes. Between 2015 and 2016 the country faced an energy crisis that was similar to the one it suffered
in 1992. Both crises were caused by climate phenomena that drastically affected the level of hydroelectric
power plants. In Colombia, 70 % of electrical energy is produced by hydropower, 18 % is generated in thermal
power plants, liquid fossil fuels account for 11 %, and wind power and biomass are responsible for 1 %.
Additionally, only 50 % of the rural population has access to electrical power.
These are strong motivations for me to pursue this master’s programme in renewable energy. My goal is to gain
knowledge with the purpose of making a contribution to social development in my country. My motivation is
fuelled by an aim to support the implementation of renewable energy as a solution to the problem of energy
reliability and to the low coverage of the electrical network in rural areas. I trust that the answer can be an
environmentally friendly and sustainable solution.
Germany is a pioneer in renewable energy development. Moreover, its energy reform involves abandoning the
use of fossil and nuclear energy, and facing a future that depends on sustainable energy. Germany is also one of
the top countries in research and academic training in the world. These three facts encourage me to study in
Germany.
I chose to apply to the Postgraduate Program in Renewable Energy of the Carl von Ossietzky University of
Oldenburg because I feel great affinity with the contents of its programme. I look forward to studying multiple
technologies in the area, each one with practical lab work and field trips. Furthermore, I find that the study of
sustainability and energy economics is fundamental to acquiring thorough knowledge in the matter. All this,
along with the fact that the university has been conducting research in renewable energy for 30 years
encourages and persuades me to pursue postgraduate studies in your institution.
With regard to the development policy of the German government that promotes sustainable development and
the improvement of quality of life in developing countries, I would like to mention the energy undersupply
problem in the rural areas of such countries. A sustainable and green solution in some of these areas would be
the implementation of off-grid photovoltaic systems for the supply of household electrical energy. As multiple
PV generator-charge controller-battery configurations exist, my research proposal will be to conduct a study of
certain developing countries where the use of this technology is viable and to clearly establish the areas where
an acceptable monthly average of radiation can be found. I would then group these areas according to similar
characteristics and determine a standard configuration for each group. The purpose of these configurations
would be to provide users with the best possible reliability, efficiency and sustainability levels considering
parameters such as expected solar cell temperature, array voltage, maintainability and budget, among others.
Our results would offer a comprehensive guide to efficiently select and implement PV systems that NGOs or
supporting government programmes could use.
For all these reasons I view myself as a strong candidate for your Renewable Energy Postgraduate Programme.
The motivations and aspirations that guide me, along with my experience in the engineering field, will ensure
my good performance as a student of the programme. I look forward to answering any questions that may arise,
and I want to express my gratitude for the time you have taken to review my application.
Sincerely,
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