Last week brought some encouraging news: two projects I’m part of were shortlisted for “Newcomer or Start-Up of the Year” at the Energy Storage Awards 2026.
The first is BESS Academy. I love what Juan Alvarez is building and how he brings professionals together to share experience, ask questions, and keep meaningful conversations going across the industry.
The second is my own project, Bess.Courses. I’m building a collection of free learning materials, visualizations, and practical references that engineers can find in one place and reuse in their work. My aim is to make useful BESS knowledge easier to access, understand, and apply.
As battery storage deployment grows, we need more people who understand how to design, build, and operate these systems. Seeing education projects recognized gives me hope that the industry is taking that need seriously.
On a personal level, building these resources alongside a full-time job and family life takes time and energy that aren’t always easy to find. Much of the work happens in the small gaps between work and family, instead of sleep.
Whatever happens on 19 November, I’m grateful to be shortlisted—and motivated to keep making better resources.
Congratulations to Juan and the BESS Academy community, and thank you to everyone who has supported, challenged, or shared feedback on bess.courses. It all helps.
P.S And of course congratulation to Brandon Zschokke on being nominated too! Great to see you on the shortlist 🥷 🥷
