Ningzi Xia '19 - China/Germany
- MH European Alum Council
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
We are delighted to share our latest Global Alum Alliance feature interview, as we celebrate the lives and achievements of alums around the world. This In the Spotlight interview focuses on Ningzi Xia '19, a researcher and data analyst in the energy sector, from China and living in Germany.
Please get in touch if you feel your story would be of interest, or would like to recommend a fellow alum!
Spotlight on…
Name: Ningzi Xia
Class Year: 2019
Country: China / Germany
Major: German Studies and Environmental Studies
Profession: Researcher and data analyst in the energy sector
"It is...exciting for me, when I learn that outcomes of my analyses contribute to development of renewables projects and influence energy policies. I hope that my work can ultimately facilitate energy transition and contribute to decarbonization."
From double majoring in German and Environmental Studies at Mount Holyoke to shaping the German energy transition, Ningzi Xia ’19 leads market analysis at Aurora Energy Research in Berlin. In this Spotlight interview, she discusses her journey into renewable engineering, her role in forecasting DACH region electricity trends, and how her MHC foundation gave her the courage to influence national decarbonization policy in a male-dominated sector. Read on!
1) What were your major/minor at MHC? What other activities did you enjoy at MHC?
I double majored in German Studies and Environmental Studies with a concentration in conservation. Outside of academics, I dedicated most of my time to singing with my choir, the Glee Club.
2) Can you tell us a little bit about yourself --what you do and what you have achieved since MHC?
After I graduated from Mount Holyoke, I acquired a Master's degree in Renewable Engineering and Management at University of Freiburg, Germany. While living in Freiburg, I worked as a part-time research assistant at Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Energy Systems, studying the socioeconomic impacts of a concentrating solar power prototype in China. In 2022, I joined the Research Team at an energy consulting and software company, Aurora Energy Research, from the Berlin office. Outside of work, I started learning to play Guqin, a traditional Chinese instrument.
3) Was there a particular event or time when you recognized that you wanted to work and do research in the industry sector?
Not in particular. I remember I was not feeling ready to devote myself to a PhD or work in academia when I was approaching the end of my studies at Mount Holyoke. Back then, I felt eager to strive towards making positive impacts on sustainability without knowing how exactly. My study and work experience in Freiburg, Germany helped me land on this path out of serendipity.
4) Briefly explain what you do professionally, what a work day looks like for you, what your drive is, and what you wish to achieve?
I usually lead a small project team of 2-4 people to produce quarterly reports that summarize key energy policies and forecast long-term development of the electricity markets in terms of power prices, buildout trajectories of various technologies in the German, Austrian and Swiss markets (DACH). In addition to these reports, I sometimes work on market insight reports related to more specific topics such as capacity markets, power purchase agreements, and financial viability of renewable energies.
Furthermore, I communicate the key results with our clients, which range from developers, utilities, investors, to government agencies. A typical work day for me often starts with reading energy news in the DACH markets. The rest of the day can be filled with modelling, assessment of model results, slide creation, and/or internal and external meetings for project coordination or client communication.
What I enjoy the most at work is to be able to use my quantitative and qualitative analytical skills to answer complicated questions. It is also exciting for me, when I learn that outcomes of my analyses contribute to development of renewables projects and influence energy policies. I hope that my work can ultimately facilitate energy transition and contribute to decarbonization.
5) What has been one of the most rewarding moments in your career as a researcher?
It was quite rewarding for me to witness how my analyses contributed to the current ongoing process of redesigning the German power market. In 2022, my colleagues and I came to the conclusion that the current energy-only market (i.e., power plants are remunerated per MWh of electricity output) will no longer be sufficient to ensure security of supply of electricity in Germany. We predicted that a capacity mechanism (i.e. power plants are remunerated based on their installed capacity in MW) would be required on top of the existing structure. This adds to energy market earnings of the plants, as they receive payments to remain available to produce power, covering fixed costs for backup capacity.
We presented our studies to a group of stakeholders, including members of the previous Federal Ministry of Environment and Economic Affairs. Two years later, the German government announced they would like to introduce a capacity mechanism by 2028. Although I know we were only a few out of many people that arrived at such conclusions and voiced our opinions, it was still very rewarding to see that our work was impactful and hopefully in a direction beneficial to society.
6) What are the main challenges faced by researchers and scientists in your sector?
I would say one of the main challenges is transparency, consistency, and accuracy of energy data. Forecasting energy markets requires massive data. The more detailed and accurate, the better. However, it is very common to encounter issues related to data quality and accessibility. In Germany, accessibility of energy market data has drastically improved over the recent years.
However, it is sometimes still challenging to disentangle how reality looks, for example, when different platforms can have very different definitions for the same terminology, and when data entries could have many mistakes. It is even more challenging to conduct market analytics for the Austrian and Swiss markets, as data are a lot less accessible with significantly more inconsistency compared to Germany.
7) What is a personal challenge that you have faces during your academic and professional life?
A personal challenge for me has been the German language. It is essential for conducting any research related to my field as well as tracking and assessing policies. I have been very grateful for the amazing support and education I received from Mount Holyoke's German Studies Department back then, which helped me build up great foundations for my language skills. Still, reading German legal texts has been quite a headache for me, for which from time to time I would cheat by using translators.
8) How did your MHC experience contribute to your career and life aspirations?
In addition to the German language skills, Mount Holyoke also taught me a lot and shaped me to who I am today. Academically, it taught me how to quickly dive into a new field of studies and gave me courage to switch to a very different and technical field of studies post graduation. Furthermore, it was very inspiring to witness how women around me from classmates to alums strive hard for their passions while trying to lift each other up.
Since I graduated from MHC and entered into the energy field, which has been and still to a large extent is dominated by men, I often think back on my experience at Mount Holyoke and ask myself how I could do the same.
9) What is your most fond memory of your time back at MHC?
There are too many. I miss making music with my wonderful and super talented choir buddies, the countless walks I took around the Upper and Lower Lake as well as the Prospect Hill, Spring Show at the Greenhouse, many heart-to-heart chats with my faculty and staff from the Environmental Studies and the German Studies Department, gracious dinner, and many more.
Interview conducted Winter 2026 by Silvia Maulini '80 & Catherine Jourdan '95
