Michele Boyd is the program manager of the Strategic Analysis and Institutional Support team in the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). The team supports the development of analysis, tools, and data resources to reduce the non-hardware (soft costs) of solar energy and accelerates learning through technical assistance programs and national partnerships. Michele joined SETO in April 2016 as a technology manager on both the soft costs and the technology to market teams. Previously, Michele was the government relations manager at Abengoa Solar, where she developed and implemented strategies to advance effective financing, siting, and transmission policies for solar. Prior to her work on solar, Michele focused on environmental and policy issues related to nuclear weapons, nuclear power, and nuclear waste at Physicians for Social Responsibility, Public Citizen, and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research.

Michele has two Bachelors of Science degrees in biology and environmental science from Purdue University and a Master’s of Science in environmental policy from the University of Michigan.

Company: Boston Government Services  

Vanina (Nina) Alanes joined the Solar Energy Technologies Office in November 2021 as a financial program analyst. She supports the Strategic Analysis and Institutional Support (SAIS) and Workforce and Equitable Access (WEA) teams. Her job consists of budget planning, financial compliance review, and financial project management for the SAIS portfolio. Nina has more than ten years of experience in accounting and finance in commercial real estate.  

Nina holds a B.S. in finance and accounting from Virginia Tech and is a proud Hokie. She enjoys dancing salsa, exploring new restaurants in the DMV area, and traveling. 

Juan Botero is a Strategic Analyst in the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) supporting the Strategic Analysis and Institutional Support (SAIS) team. Juan’s work contributes to the team’s mission of reducing solar soft costs by supporting research at the intersection of natural resource conservation and solar energy deployment. He contributes to projects focused on solar siting issues, interactions between solar energy facilities and wildlife, land use concerns, among other topics. In his previous role, Juan worked with the American Wind Wildlife Institute where he managed a research fund focused on creating solutions to deploy more wind energy across the country while minimizing its impacts on wildlife and the environment.

Juan is a fellow at the Clean Energy Leadership Institute where he engages regularly with leaders from across the clean energy field on emerging topics in the space and professional development. Juan holds an M.S. from William & Mary University where he studied the impacts of mercury on songbirds and a B.S. from Virginia Tech with a major in wildlife science.

Zachary Goff-Eldredge is a Technology Manager for the Strategic Analysis and Institutional Support team, joining SETO in June 2019. His projects are focused on finding innovative ways to manage land-use of solar energy, including innovative siting solutions such as combining solar energy and agricultural production. In collaboration with National Laboratories and SETO’s sister offices in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Zach works to improve models that are important in understanding the growth and operation of solar energy and to conduct and assist in analysis relating to decarbonization of the electric grid and wider energy system.

Prior to joining SETO, he was a Ph.D. student and researcher at the University of Maryland Joint Quantum Institute. There, he studied quantum information, quantum computing, and atomic physics. His thesis concerned how quantum entanglement could be generated, distributed, and then used to perform novel tasks in sensing, computing, and communication. Prior to his Ph.D., Zach attended the University of Oklahoma, where he received a B.S. in Physics and a B.A. in Mathematics.

As a graduate student, he also worked with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to encourage the growth of the nascent U.S. quantum computing industry by writing newsletters and assisting in the creation of an industry consortium. In addition, Zach worked at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, a think tank specializing in producing policy advice around emerging technology, where he wrote a white paper on synthetic biology and space exploration. During his Ph.D., he was awarded a fellowship by the ARCS Foundation of Metropolitan Washington.

ORISE Science and Technology Policy Fellow 

Bryn Huxley-Reicher is an ORISE Science and Technology Policy Fellow for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). He joined SETO in September 2023 as part of the Strategic Analysis and Institutional Support team and as a special assistant to SETO Director Dr. Becca Jones-Albertus. 

Before joining SETO, Bryn was a policy analyst focused on renewable energy and environmental issues for Frontier Group, a nonprofit that is part of the Public Interest Network. During his three years at Frontier Group, Bryn worked on projects related to solar energy and technology, wind energy, energy efficiency, renewable energy credits, net energy metering, air pollution, and water pollution, among other topics. He provided support to advocacy and organizing campaigns, and gained invaluable research, writing, and analysis skills. Bryn holds a B.A. in applied math and earth and planetary sciences from Harvard University. 

Company: ManTech international

Nick Kasza is a solar energy technical advisor for the Strategic Analysis and Institutional Support (SAIS) team, joining  the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) in June 2022. Nick’s work supports research and capacity-building projects to accelerate solar deployment. His portfolio includes work on solar siting, agrivoltaics, permitting solutions, and local government best practices. 

In his previous role, Nick worked for the National League of Cities where he provided local governments with resources and solutions to become more sustainable and resilient. His primary responsibility was to provide technical assistance to help local governments improve their solar energy processes and capabilities through the DOE-funded SolSmart program. He also helped cities implement local resilience strategies through the Leadership in Community Resilience program. Nick holds an M.S. in energy policy and climate from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in international studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Company: Allegheny Science and Technology

Ammar supports the soft cost team and manages the Catalyst Energy Prize, Orange Button Data, and projects with NREL and LBNL. Prior to joining SETO, he worked as an investment officer for a boutique $100 million venture capital investment firm and served on a number of boards for startups. Ammar co-established the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, a nonprofit organization in Washington, DC focused on information and security, growing the staff from three people to 15, later serving as a board member between 2004 and 2009. Throughout his career, Ammar has been recognized for his work and dedication, including the EERE's Energy Rock Star in 2015 for his work on the Catalyst Energy Prize. Ammar holds a Ph.D. from University of Paris I, where he earned the highest distinction for his doctoral thesis, an M.S. from the University of Oxford, and an MBA from Georgetown University.

Gurvinder Shergill joined the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) in February 2024 as a technical project officer for the Strategic Analysis and Institutional Support team. Gurvinder has over a decade of experience in project financial management. Prior to joining SETO, he worked as an investment strategist and analyst for a public pension fund in Washington D.C. and at a hedge fund in New York City. Before moving to the United States, he practiced corporate law as an attorney in India. 

Gurvinder has an MBA with a specialization in finance, from Columbia Business School, and a bachelor of law degree from Panjab University.

ORISE Science and Technology Policy Fellow 

Emily Wichman is an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Science and Technology Policy Fellow for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). She joined SETO in September 2023 on the Strategic Analysis and Institutional Support team. Her interests include equitable access to solar energy, grid and energy resilience, and innovative siting solutions, such as agrivoltaics.  

Prior to joining SETO, Emily received her B.S. in natural resources – policy and administration with a minor in renewable energy technology from North Carolina State University in May 2022. While there, Emily began an internship at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center, and started a full-time position as a research analyst after graduation. In this role, she provided local governments with technical assistance to improve their solar policies and procedures through the SolSmart program, funded by DOE. She also contributed to the Resilient Community Microgrids project, also DOE-funded, to design an advanced microgrid control architecture to improve the resilience and reliability of regional grid systems. 

ORISE Science and Technology Policy Fellow

Rylie Yaeger is an ORISE Science and Technology Policy Fellow for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). She joined SETO in November 2022 on the Strategic Analysis and Institutional Support team. Rylie’s work contributes to a range of projects including innovative siting, such as agrivoltaics and land use concerns.

Prior to joining SETO, Rylie completed a dual degree master’s program and received an MSc International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a LLM International Affairs from Peking University in 2021. After graduation, Rylie served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member working with the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) in Butte-Silver Bow, Montana. In her prior role, she contributed to the development of a county climate adaptation and green energy plan in a joint effort from NCAT and the local city-county. Rylie explored her interest of environmental policy and renewable energy siting concerns while gaining invaluable practical experience engaging with the local community. She also holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.