Hanna Breunig

Research Scientist

Building 090, Room 2004

M/S 90R2002

Phone: 510-486-4046

hannabreunig@lbl.gov

Curriculum Vitae

Biography

Dr. Hanna Breunig is a Research Scientist in the Sustainable Energy Systems Group in the Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division. She holds a secondary joint appointment in the Earth Systems and Society Domain in the Climate and Ecosystem Science Division. Hanna specializes in spatially- and temporally-resolved environmental, human health, and economic impact assessment of emerging energy and wastewater treatment technologies. These include waste-to-energy/resource systems, bioenergy, distributed generation, and gas (H₂, CO₂, CH₄) capture, utilization, and management technologies. Currently, she is collaborating with a team of scientist in ETA to develop a roadmap for sustainable, cost-effective utilization of waste biomass for distributed energy generation in California. She holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from Cornell University and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UC Berkeley.

Research Interests

In my research, I try to understand the environmental, economic, and human health impacts of water, food, and energy systems at local and global scales. I develop new methods for modeling emerging technologies, management decisions, and policies to bound potential impacts, risks, and co-benefits. Techniques used in my work include techno-economic analysis, life cycle assessment, market analysis, and scenario analysis.
My current research interests include: methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen systems; waste-to-energy; circular economy; resiliency; bioenergy; wastewater treatment; food waste reduction and resource recovery; building stock dynamics; urban land use forecasting.
My ongoing projects involve the bulk storage and distribution of hydrogen and biogas, and the utilization of organic waste for bioenergy production.