Nils Rusås Ruud ensures that he works methodically and on a scientific level, whether it’s with renewable energy or sourdough bread. In his spare time, he works his way to the perfect sourdough. At work, he looks for new areas for more renewable energy.
We meet Nils (32) at his home in Fredrikstad. He’s prepared some sourdough bread for baking.
Although we’re there to discuss renewable energy, we’ve got some time to chat a little bit about how his interest in baking stems from the education he took at NMBU.
It was through the experiences from his studies that Nils really opened his eyes to sourdough bread and baking, which resulted in him taking part in the Baking Championship, which was broadcast on NRK in the spring of 2024.
Formulas and percentage = sourdough bread
In his own blog, Brødhue, Nils bakes everything from sourdough bread to pizza. He became hooked on baking through his interest in mathematics and science. By using the two, he can ‘solve’ the baking through percentages and numbers.
̶ When I learned the methods and formulas and systematics in baking, it was something that was quite easy to learn, precisely because it made so much sense when you see it in context. So, my education in engineering became a trigger for the interest, in addition I use it to find systems, do experiments and to understand the processes in a slightly more detailed way than most people might be interested in.
̶ I love to bake, and I’m a competitive person, so the Baking Championship suited me very well. I knew that I would be a bit weak in a number of fields, because I only knew yeast baking and sourdough. But then it becomes a small challenge with myself, because I want to know how much I can achieve.
Previously utilised areas can be transformed into areal for renewable energy
Professionally, Nils wishes to do something good for society. He took a five-year master’s in environmental physics and renewable energy at NMBU and last year he secured the job at Østfold Energi as a project developer.
In his role, he looks for areas, preferably in Østfold, and preferably areas where nature has already been used in some way. The aim is to use the areas to produce solar power.
̶ The job involves looking at maps in search for new areas, having dialogue with landowners, talking to contractors and advisers, and technical work on a PC with different software to get better finances and the technical skills to go around the projects that I help developing.
The work is based on sustainable development in society. The very foundation of his education and in his current position within the field of sustainability. We ask if he took learnings on sustainability from NMBU into his new role.
̶ I think it’s important to have a comprehensive understanding of sustainability in relation to, for example, working conditions, natural diversity, and other considerations in society, not just the climate aspect of it. Climate is of course a large part of sustainability, but sustainability is more than that. Such understandings have been developed at NMBU, so I think the title they set for themselves with the ‘university of sustainability’ fits quite well.
The impact of clean energy in our society
In order for the world to be able to cut its emissions, it’s necessary to replace today’s fossil energy with renewable energy, and also produce more renewable energy to carry out other types of measures, while, at the same time, have an increase in prosperity in the world.
̶ That is why renewable energy is the key to what we will achieve in the future. In Norway, we have a power balance with other countries and internally in different price ranges. If this balance shifts you get situations like in 2022, with expensive electricity prices, but the opposite can also happen, like in 2020, where you had record low electricity prices. Being able to have predictability for industry, private individuals and those who develop new renewable energy is very important.
In the south of Europe, one has started to encounter restrictions, where one sees periods of negative electricity prices. Nils explains that this is a signal that e.g. a lot of solar power is produced in the middle of the day, while other energy sources are available and cheap. Getting the power puzzle to go up is important. At the same time, Norway needs new renewable energy to keep the country's prices at a stable level.
The future’s energy balance
What the world's energy balance will look like in 20 years may not be possible to predict, but Nils has an idea that the world will have significantly more solar power than today. He especially believes that it will be developed on roofs and through ground-mounted projects. He spends some time thinking about what the world's balance of power might look like.
̶ We will probably have more wind power within 20 years. This has also resulted in much more wind power at sea. On land, there will probably be moderate amounts, as there is a great deal of popular opposition which can make it difficult to realize what we really need.
Nils also believes that nuclear power can be realized in Norway. Nuclear power is produced using fusion and is a controversial way of producing energy. Although it has been debated, Nils believes it can help solve future challenges in power production.
̶ Within 20 years, I think we can have some nuclear power plants in Norway, too. Nuclear power is an important contributor with colossal amounts of stable energy. So, I think it is good and important that someone works with it in Norway as well, not just abroad. We are going to solve it in the proper, Norwegian way, so that the negative consequences that can be seen historically are avoided. I think it's going to be done safely, and I think we're going to handle the waste in a sensible way.
If Norway takes the time we need to do it right, Nils believes we can get more renewable energy within 15 to 20 years.
Norway needs more solar power, hydropower and preferably some wind power to realize Norway's climate measures. It is also important to save energy where possible.
He believes that much can be solved with automation and smarter management of today's consumption.
̶ However, it is not always about money, so the right funds must be brought in at the right place at the right time. It is not something that Norway is always able to solve very well.
Climate goals as a societal task
Like the EU, Norway aims to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by 50-55% by 2030.
The methodology in the EU compared to Norway are slightly different, but Norway's climate plan for 2021-2030 involves, among other things, quotas and taxes, electrification of the transport sector and a major investment in climate and environmentally friendly transport solutions.
Nils does not think politicians, or the public, fully understand what society has to go through in order to reach climate targets, and how much renewable energy Norway and the world needs, or how many measures are needed.
̶ It will cost either money, or quality of life. Norway and the world have waited a dangerously long time to take the necessary measures. I think politicians and the government don't quite understand how urgent it is, and that they don't fully take it in.
̶ Norway has made difficult choices before, and we have achieved great things, but I don’t see the real determination to stand by politicians over time to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We have only cut 5% since 1990; it's simply embarrassing. We don't get to speak at international conferences because we don't keep up, and we produce oil that emits many times our own emissions. We have become hypocritical when it comes to climate.
̶ I don't think we should point to individuals, but we should point to certain politicians and parties who do not take this into account.
Nils points out that there is not much one individual can do, but that it is about how society works towards solving the climate crisis, and that you start with the politicians.
He believes there are many in society who are ready to tackle the climate. With the right incentives, it has been seen that people can change their habits, the crowning example of this is the electric car policy and the way people have responded to it.
Renewable energy in a Norwegian context
There are several countries that are investing heavily in renewable energy sources on different scales and methods that we can learn from.
̶ You don't have to go any further than Sweden before they build quite a lot more solar power and wind power than in Norway. Germany has had a political will that is something to look up to. Although I completely disagree with the shutdown of nuclear power, at least they have managed to take a stand and stand by it over time.
̶ Denmark gets a lot of development, but then we always have to put it in the Norwegian context. We are a slightly different country in almost everything. Sometimes it's right, other times maybe we should imitate more. Outside Europe, the context is often quite different. The US has completely different scales and problems than what we have here. We have an economy that can bear most of the costs. In the end, it's all about will.
The foundation for his career
Nils looks back on his time at NMBU with fond memories. Throughout his career, he has experienced that employers have had a good impression of the environmental physics students at NMBU. As an alumnus, he calls environmental physics students from NMBU "a bit rare".
̶ There’s not exactly a mass-production of environmental physics students.
He also feels that working life is keen on the skills students acquire at NMBU. You can choose a slightly unique route yourself: Everyone chooses their own study route and cultivates the interests they have within the field.