Meet the Meroes: Giuseppe Boccardo
Meet the Meroes – Giuseppe
In this Meet the Meroes – we present Giuseppe, a 32-year-old Italian residing in London with his British girlfriend. Born and raised in the charming seaside town of Puglia in South Italy, Giuseppe saw opportunities for innovation from a young age. Despite living in the UK for 4 years, he still retains a strong Italian accent, which he wears proudly.
Giuseppe’s passion for energy engineering led him to pursue a degree at Polytechnic of Turin, located in the northern part of Italy.
“I love my hometown and the warmth of the Italian climate, but unfortunately, opportunities for innovation in the fields of renewables are limited,” Giuseppe says.
After graduation, Giuseppe joined CNH Industrial in Turin, where he worked on industrial vehicles. However, he soon found his true calling as he took up an opportunity to work with an NGO in Peru, where he helped develop renewable energy sources such as solar and wind in areas without access to electricity.
“It was an incredibly fulfilling experience. We introduced miniature off-grid wind turbines to produce electricity for children to read and study after sunset. Furthermore, we also educated the villagers on how to harness the power of the sun and wind to generate electricity. It may seem like a small gesture, but for people in developing countries, it’s an eye-opening experience,” Giuseppe shares.
After nine months in Peru, Giuseppe desired experience working in Northern Europe and made the move to London to further his career in renewables. He began working for Powervault, a startup that specializes in small domestic energy storage batteries.
In his father’s footsteps
Prior to his move to the UK, Giuseppe had limited knowledge about electric vehicle (EV) charging. During his time at Powervault, he became familiar with Statkraft and its foothold in British society.
“After two exciting years at Powervault, I was contacted about an opportunity at Mer. I did my research, and immediately saw the connection to Statkraft, which had already made an impact on me since my move to London,” he tells.
In 2021, Giuseppe was hired by Mer Public Charging as Operational Technical Support. His role at the company is multi-faceted, ranging from monitoring charger performance to improving customer experience and network reliability.
“At Mer, no two days are alike. Mer Public Charging UK is growing rapidly, and I get to work with field engineers one day and run data analysis the next, to make informed decisions on hardware reliability or streamlining processes,” Giuseppe says.
While EV charging may not have always been on Giuseppe’s radar, his career as an engineer was always in the cards.
“My father became an engineer with the goal of improving machines used in farming. He wanted to make my grandfather’s life as a farmer easier. I became an engineer to continue his legacy and be on the front line to help technology have a better impact on our daily life,” Giuseppe explains.
“In Italy, public transport is lacking, especially in rural areas. Cars are a common mode of transportation for even the shortest trips, such as to the grocery store. I aspire to make this type of transportation more sustainable, and one day, I dream of bringing modern, eco-friendly solutions to my home country.”
Giuseppe’s creative streak as a handyman
During his student days at Polytechnic of Turin, Giuseppe and three friends entered a handcraft competition with a vision of making a positive impact on the world. The team designed a device named “Desalt” that utilized solar energy to convert salt water into drinkable water, offering a low-cost solution for communities in developing countries facing water scarcity.
“Although we did not win the competition, the experience was incredibly fulfilling. Desalt was made with recycled materials and a Fresnel lens that harnessed solar energy to transform salt water into drinkable water. The salt would remain at the bottom of the device and recovered for other purposes, while the stream was condensed into potable water and pre-heated the seawater. It was a great learning experience,” he tells.
Giuseppe has maintained his creative spark beyond his academic years and continues to use his innovative spirit in his personal life. In his spare time, he enjoys DJing and listening to his sets when he needs to be fully focused at the office. Giuseppe also loves receiving old furniture by either rebuilding or reupholstering it to give it a fresh look.
“Many of us adopt a throwaway culture towards products, but I believe we should strive to change this. All furniture, clothing, electronics, and more deserve a second chance, and we should all embrace recycling and make our daily lives more sustainable,” he concludes.
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