Research Fellow - Agricultural Energy Efficiency & Clean Energy Deployment

Title: Research Fellow - Agricultural Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Deployment

Executive Area: Academic Affairs

College/School/MBU: College of Natural Sciences

Department: Environmental Conservation

Work Location: Amherst

Schedule: Full Time

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

The University of Massachusetts Clean Energy Extension (CEE) seeks a research professional with interest and expertise at the intersection of energy and agriculture. The successful candidate will be responsible for conducting outreach to farms across Massachusetts, visiting farms to perform energy assessments, producing and reporting on energy improvement plans, and assessing the efficacy of the program. The research fellow will also take a lead role in furthering CEE’s mission to support the clean energy transition, through outreach and applied research on related topics in line with the candidate’s interests and expertise, including but not limited to agrivoltaics, building energy systems and auditing, and/or solar and battery energy storage deployment.

A portion of the work will be funded by the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). The NRCS-funded work (roughly 60% of effort) will focus on independent field assessment, energy analysis, technical report writing, development of actionable recommendations to reduce energy use and operating costs, as well as applied research to assess the efficacy of these efforts and improve the implementation of recommended actions.

The research fellow will work in coordination with NRCS, UMass CEE, and partner organizations to support farm clients through an energy auditing process, providing guidance on applicable incentive pathways, conducting outreach and training activities that support program delivery, and assessing the effectiveness of the program. This is a self-directed role requiring technical judgment, strong interpersonal skills, report writing ability, and comfort working independently across a wide range of farm operations and facilities.

The applied research and outreach in renewable energy and/or energy efficiency work (roughly 40% of effort) will support CEE’s mission to accelerate the adoption of these technologies in alignment with Massachusetts clean energy and climate goals. Massachusetts was one of the first states to provide financial incentives for agrivoltaic and pollinator-friendly solar developments, as well as to support municipalities in energy efficiency improvements.

CEE plays an active role in research and regulatory support related to agrivoltaics, administers a certification program for pollinator-friendly solar installations, and works closely with cities and towns to reduce municipal energy use, adopt clean energy in municipal buildings and facilities, and conduct community-wide clean energy planning.

NRCS-funded work (roughly 60% of effort) - specific duties include:

• Conduct desk-based review, on-farm site visits, and technical energy assessments for farms across Massachusetts in accordance with NRCS requirements and accepted energy-auditing practice.
• Prepare clear, professional energy reports and energy improvement plans that identify energy efficiency, electrification, and operational improvement opportunities, including estimated energy savings, implementation considerations, and economic implications.
• Analyze farm energy use across agricultural operations and facilities such as greenhouse heating and cooling, dairy and livestock systems, irrigation systems, cold storage and refrigeration, maple sugaring operations, lighting, pumps, motors, and selected mobile equipment applications.
• Use spreadsheets, utility data, fuel-use data, site observations, and technical judgment to quantify baseline energy use and…