Stewart Isaacs is a PhD Candidate in the Aeronautics and Astronautics department. His research interests are in modeling and analyzing clean energy systems, particularly productive-use and decentralized systems, and understanding how these systems inform energy justice and sustainable development. In his work, Stewart collaborates with community and academic partners in Africa to develop clean energy technologies toward local empowerment. His thesis aims to quantify the negative impacts of dust on photovoltaic systems in West Africa and to design effective solutions to address them.
Previously, Stewart’s research quantified the lifecycle emissions and costs of producing electrofuels and green hydrogen. These low-carbon liquid fuels use renewable energy as a primary input and are suitable for powering aviation and shipping among other transportation methods. Prior to coming to MIT, Stewart received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. In addition to research, Stewart has lectured as an Archer-Cornfield Teaching Fellow at Ashesi University and co-taught Introduction to Energy in Global Development at MIT’s D-Lab. Outside of his work, he enjoys participating in sports such as competitive jump rope and club gymnastics.