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,
