Meet Our People: Emily Baruffaldi - "With hydroelectric power in the DNA"

It all started in Italy. I grew up in Villa D’Adda, a small town near Lake Como, surrounded by gardens and nature and with a long history of hydroelectric power. In fact, on my walks I could look across the river and see the hydroelectric plants built over a hundred years ago to power the town’s factories. These old plants are cultural landmarks, and they fascinated me as a child! I wanted to know how they worked, and how they supplied the power to make other things work, like turning on a lightbulb or charging a phone. 

I was also intrigued to be part of this major transformation: the shift towards renewable energy and sustainable power systems. 

With a major in Electric Power Engineering, I was fortunate to get the opportunity to work for Hitachi’s Power Consulting team in Sweden. I was hired into a team full of PhDs, and I benefit from that tremendously. Most of my colleagues are much more experienced than I, yet from day one, I have observed they are just as committed to learning as I am. They give me top-notch advice and are always available when I have a question or need a sounding board. 

Together we do everything from studies and analysis to drawing the master map and helping with energy strategies or coming up with completely new innovative energy solutions – impacting the planet and lives of millions of people really. 

The power system studies are often done early in the planning process for huge projects which include hundreds of people. But our customers need us for all kinds of projects, and we might need to jump in at any point along the way. The variety means that there is never a dull moment! I’ve worked on power system analyses for offshore wind and power-from-shore projects, insulation coordination studies, cost estimations, energization studies, and more. 

My team is responsible for designing systems that meet both technical and regulatory requirements while collaborating with other equipment and technology providers. Since these projects involve so many people and external elements, collaboration and coordination is paramount! Towards the end of a project, we double-check that all the pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly. This could involve, for example, building a model for the TSO (transmission system operator) that verifies the solution’s compliance with power grid regulatory codes.

I feel so fortunate to have chosen the path that I did. I get to help customers solve their technology challenges and contribute to a more sustainable energy future for all. I could not have picked a better career or place to build it!

Today, I ride my bike most places, or walk, and once again I am surrounded by water and nature.