Q&A: Codie Sharp – Junior Software Developer

For months now, junior software developer Codie Sharp has brought his ambition to help the world transition from fossil fuels to renewables like distributed energy resources (DERs). Sharp has seen the terrible impact of climate change and works not to make it easier for utilities to strengthen their grid through green energies. Join us in welcoming Codie Sharp to the Virtual Peaker team!

How did your previous life prepare you for Virtual Peaker?

In my previous work with the US Forest Service in California, I saw the effects of climate change firsthand. My job focused on wildfire rehabilitation and ensuring people had escape routes when the fires inevitably came. The 2018 Camp Fire came so fast that there wasn’t time for many to evacuate. This showed me that we need to do more, right now, before this gets any worse.

Tell us about your role at Virtual Peaker.

As a software developer at Virtual Peaker, I directly contribute to the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. I work on the forecasting team building the interface that utility companies use. We take data from our machine learning model and plot it on a graph to show what the predicted grid load will be at a given time. This way utilities can schedule power-saving events at the most effective time.

How do you personally engage in sustainability efforts?

Earlier this spring Virtual Peaker held an event via Louisville Grows where we met up to plant trees in neighborhoods. Forests are near and dear to me, so my preferred solo contribution is to pick up trash along trails. I also enjoy repurposing things in creative ways whenever I see an opportunity.

What can you tell us about yourself?

On New Year’s my wife and I are expecting a little girl! We have 3 very strange dogs that keep us busy.  As for myself, I’d say my defining feature is my curiosity. I go out of my way to experience as many things as possible. My main hobby is reading Wikipedia which also makes me decent at trivia! Recently I have been learning chess and really enjoying it. I used to be an avid backpacker, but it doesn’t really fit my lifestyle anymore.

About The Author

Bill is a serial entrepreneur with a PhD from UC Berkeley in Controls and Artificial Intelligence and 10 years of experience with high performance residential energy management and connected appliances. He was previously at GE as an Advanced Systems Engineer in the Connected Home Software Group, but left that role in May 2014 to pursue entrepreneurship full time.

Bill grew up in Louisville and returned with his family in 2010 after a long stint in the San Francisco Bay Area. He loves Louisville and is working to make it a better and more attractive city for high tech startups.

More About Bill