About me
Mechanical engineer turned energy systems researcher, tracing a path from thermal systems in Nepal to district heating networks in Germany.
From mechanical engineering to energy systems
I started in mechanical engineering at Kathmandu University, where I built my foundation in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, structural analysis and computer-aided design. I worked on projects ranging from FEA of structural components to the design of refrigeration systems: the kind of work that gives you a physical sense of how energy moves through a system.
An HVAC engineering internship at Himal Refrigeration and Electrical Industries in 2023 brought that grounding into the field. Designing, installing and maintaining HVAC systems taught me that energy efficiency is not just a parameter on a spreadsheet; it is something you see and feel in a real building, in a real climate.
That pointed me towards energy systems. In 2024 I moved to Freiburg for an M.Sc. in Sustainable Systems Engineering at the University of Freiburg, where my focus is building energy performance, thermal networks, and how renewable energy and heat supply fit together.
Since February 2025 I have worked as a Student Assistant at INATECH, monitoring and evaluating district heating systems in Python. My M.Sc. research looks at how heat-pump emissions change with grid CO₂ intensity across Germany, including the effects of PV and combined heat and power. In 2026 I co-authored two papers at BauSim 2026 in Zürich on CHP and heat-pump systems for the Smart District Durlach in Karlsruhe: one simulating supply options across German locations, one analysing three years of monitoring data.
The thread through all of it is the same: I am interested in how energy systems actually work in practice, and how to make them work better.
Next: my Master’s thesis
I am preparing the research focus for my Master’s thesis and am open to collaborations with industry and research institutions across Germany and the DACH region. The areas I am most interested in:
- Dynamic building energy simulation
- Low-temperature (4th and 5th generation) district heating networks
- Model-predictive dispatch of heat pumps under variable renewable supply
- Sector coupling
Beyond engineering
Engineering is how I think about problems. Writing and photography are how I process the world around me.
Writing
Writing is part of how I think. I write about energy policy, buildings and technology. The Hydropower Illusion, an investigative look at Nepal’s energy sovereignty, is my most substantial piece so far.
Energy policy
I am particularly interested in the politics and economics of energy transitions: how policy shapes the adoption of heat pumps, district heating and building renovation, and where systems thinking can change outcomes at scale.
Nepal & ROE Network
I co-founded ROE Network in Nepal in 2018, an educational community supporting academic and professional development. It ran for nearly seven years and shaped how I think about knowledge-sharing and community building.
Photography
A hobby: landscapes, cities and moments, mostly on the move between Nepal and Germany. The photography page is a growing archive.
