STOYAN TRENCHEV ’16: The Humanitarian Who Became an Engineer

Interview by Petia Ivanova '97

As an ACS student, Grade 8 through 12, Stoyan played the guitar and performed at classical and holiday concerts, even joining the school’s rock band on electric guitar. A skilled debater, he won the Social Sciences Department award his senior year. When he returned for the 2023 alumni reunion, he shared his surprising new career path – working with wind turbines. Intrigued, we arranged a virtual coffee to learn more about this unexpected shift. Stoyan graciously agreed, thanks in part to some persuasion from his younger sister, as we later discovered. Special shout out to the younger siblings that can and teach us, if only we let them!

In honor of our interview, we’re experiencing Danish summer weather here in Sofia today, July 3 with a cool 18 degrees Celsius.

Here in Copenhagen, it has been like this for… a long time.

How’s life in Denmark otherwise? How’s the wind there?

The wind is good, it’s not moving too much. It’s steady, which is very good for wind turbines. Life in Denmark can be stressful at times, but it’s nice. There is a lot of work and running around but it’s rewarding and fulfilling — definitely not boring.

Tell us what you’ve been up to since graduating in 2016.

Oh, that was a long time ago. 8 years but feels like 18, with everything that’s happened. I went to Germany, worked a lot, graduated, and then worked even more.

What did you study in Germany?

I studied Renewable Energy Engineering, which is essentially electrical engineering for renewable systems, at the University of Stuttgart. My plan was to continue my education after my Bachelor’s degree, but it didn’t work out because the company I wrote my thesis with offered me a job on an awesome project – an offer I couldn’t refuse. We were given the opportunity to redesign two wind turbines, making all the changes we wanted to meet our scientific needs. It was very challenging. Many of the things we aimed to do aren’t typically done in the wind industry because they’re too expensive. But we wanted to experiment with unconventional ideas. It was a lot of fun. We prototyped a lot on these machines and built some sensors that we designed ourselves. It was like Legoland for engineers, tinkering with these giants. I did this for about three years. So, to put it simply, I studied wind turbines.

So, would you advise younger students to take a gap year or a break between their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees to see if what they’re pursuing really is their passion?

It really depends on what you do. I have friends who took gap years and they went to Australia, traveling through the desert to find themselves. I couldn’t do that. I think if you’re pursuing something you love professionally, then sure, take a gap year. Otherwise don’t. Time is precious.

And how did you choose the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) for your Master’s degree?

For wind energy enthusiasts, Denmark is the place to be because the biggest and oldest wind energy companies are based here. DTU has pioneered a lot of the work that goes into not only wind energy, but the entire concept of renewable energy. They conduct excellent research on basically every aspect that goes into implementing these ideas in reality. So, I applied there and was surprised to get accepted. Then came the complicated part of having to switch countries again and adjusting to everything. But it’s been well worth it.

So you recently had to switch back from working and learning on the job to going back to university. Has it been difficult?

Yeah, it’s actually pretty hard. I had forgotten how slow-paced university can be. I came from crazy working hours and a lot of pressure, constantly aware that if something breaks, then something explodes. I was expecting the same pace here, but university is actually quite boring sometimes, and the workload is pretty manageable. For the first six months, I had too much time on my hands, so I started working again, not just to earn money, but also to keep busy. Now it’s a lot more fun. There is a bit of the old pressure of having multiple deadlines to meet, so I wake up early in the morning.

What do you like most about working with wind energy?

I love that after assembling a wind turbine, you can go on top of it and have lunch. It’s just awesome. You are sitting up there, looking down, thinking, “This was a hard day, but this is a nice view and I’m very happy I did this.’’ And it’s not an entirely selfish job, either. You can earn money in many different ways, but with wind power and renewables in general, I feel that my career isn’t just for me. I’m doing something for the greater good. When work gets tough, this keeps me going. Every wind turbine put into operation makes the world a little better and that’s not a bad way to feel about your job. This was important when I was choosing my career path. With this mindset, overcoming hardships becomes a bit easier.

What challenges does working with wind energy pose?

There are many problems we still need to solve and a lot of controversy around wind turbines. I’ve heard claims from them killing mice to disturbing sleep to causing cancer. These controversies arise because many people don’t really understand what’s in them. In reality, a wind turbine is just a big fan. There is no technology in it that can harm bystanders. It has a generator and a gearbox, similar to what you have in your car, hair dryer, or laptop. In fact, your cell phone and other everyday devices generally have more emissions and are arguably more harmful, because they’re so much closer to you when in use. A wind turbine is just glass fiber and metal that spins. But they’re very big, and people see them. If we could see on a daily basis the emissions from a coal plant 200 kilometers away, we would be having a different discussion.

One argument against wind turbines that I agree with: they can be ugly. If you put a lot of them in one place, at night you see a sea of red lights. If I am on a hike and sleep in a tent, I wouldn’t want to see that. It is a bit dystopian in my opinion. But there is a solution. The German government passed a law a few years ago requiring all red lights on turbines become infrared lights so they are invisible to the human eye. The red lights are there for planes to be able to navigate. Planes will have infrared cameras installed that see the infrared light, and this problem is solved.

Then you’re left with debunking myths like wind turbines causing cancer, which I still don’t know the origins of. Researchers haven’t found a link between the two yet. The reason why we built our wind turbines with all the special measuring devices in them, was to research such concerns. We measured vibrations emitted into the soil, noise emission, bat activity to name some. We even caught wild birds and put sensors on them to track their movement and understand how they behaved and if they were actually killed by the turbines. So, now there’s more data to inform these debates.

We also tried to assess the psychological impact of wind turbines on nearby residents. A few psychologists went from house to house, asking if the wind turbines were disturbing. They identified individuals that were disturbed by the turbines and started monitoring various things in their houses such as the noise levels that actually reach the house and to what extent the person was affected by the turbine, etc.

It quickly became clear that the perception of wind turbines is quite subjective. We struggled to reach solid conclusions because everyone’s experience was different. One highlight was this case of a senior citizen who claimed that the wind turbine disturbed his sleep. He was asked to record every time he woke up and if it was due to a wind turbine. It turned out the wind turbine had nothing to do with him waking up. He was waking up every time the train passed, not even next to his house, it was several kilometers away… But he couldn’t see the train; only the red aviation light.

Do you know the status of wind energy here in Bulgaria?

Yeah, it’s difficult and way behind schedule, I think. There are some projects which are working close to the Black Sea, but progress is slow. One major wind project, Dobrotich Wind, hasn’t been built yet due to significant opposition from the local population. So, it’s yet to be seen. Currently, Bulgaria is lagging behind the rest of the EU, including Greece and Romania, in terms of wind energy share. However, we’re doing pretty well with solar, despite government inaction and grid problems. It’s amazing how the free market pushes through these challenges. People, even with inefficient bureaucracy and bad infrastructure, keep pushing hard. So, I am optimistic. I think in a few years, we’ll see some significant wind projects developed.

How has the wind energy industry evolved over the four years that you’ve been involved?

Almost everything is moving offshore now. Building wind turbines on land is tough because you have to deal with too many interests. There are always individuals, like the one I mentioned, who refuse to sign papers because they think wind turbines disrupt their sleep. So, there have been enormous incentives to develop technology that allows the installation offshore where there are fewer parties involved. The wind conditions offshore are also much better, with less turbulence and more stable power production. You can also build much bigger turbines. Though they are more expensive to build, the projects are ultimately more profitable. Most of the capital is now focused on building offshore parks. This is great because European waters – the Mediterranean, the North Sea – have several hundred gigawatts of potential – enough to power Europe many times over. However, we are now also starting to see opposition similar to that on land. The new claim is that wind turbines kill fish, but research shows that building offshore wind farms actually helps fish by adding artificial underwater structures for them to nest in, much like artificial reefs.

Were you interested in engineering when you were at ACS? What was your area of academic interest? I recall you receiving the Social Sciences Departmental award in 2016.

I was not particularly interested in engineering while at ACS. My natural inclination wasn’t towards mathematics or physics. I was actually preparing to become a lawyer. But in the end, it’s technology that improves the world fastest, and I wanted to be part of that. Turns out you can learn mathematics and physics, even if you can’t do it in kindergarten. There is this old joke: “Name one book that made you cry,” and engineers pull out their math books. That was me.

Studying these technical things was difficult in the beginning. It felt like memorizing a phonebook. But once you make yourself sit down and do the homework, even though it’s hard, with enough time and pressure, you can achieve your goals. Then, once you understand what the numbers mean, they become quite useful, and you can do a lot with them. Looking back, I’m pretty glad I made that decision.

Do you sometimes think about education and ways to make it better? What are your thoughts on the future of education?

I am not a fan of formative assessment. In my opinion, it makes people a bit lazy and doesn’t teach you anything. The real takeaway from school is learning how to deal with stress and uncertainty, like during exams. I don’t remember my chemistry textbooks anymore but I do remember how to study for a chemistry exam. And that’s an important skill.

What is your most marked characteristic?

I’m very impatient. I just can’t sit in one place. I want things to happen very quickly, which causes a lot of problems, especially in engineering. It has caused me a lot of pain. Doing things too quickly and breaking things in the long run, doesn’t build stable systems. So my lack of patience is not very helpful in building reliable things. And I’ve learned to deal with this, to just circumvent it somehow. But it has its uses in other places.

In the end, it’s technology that improves the world fastest, and I wanted to be part of that.

What’s your greatest fear?

I obviously don’t want anything bad to happen to my family. Other than that, I don’t really fear anything, actually. What’s there to fear? We live in the best time in human history. I can sit in the middle of Copenhagen talking to you over my laptop as if we are out for a coffee right now.

Well, there are some things happening that kind of worry me lately, like the far-right parties winning all over the place. I am trying to convince myself that it’s just a pendulum swing that will eventually come back to its senses.

I think people need a correction sometimes. When you start taking things for granted, you’re bound to lose them. That’s not necessarily bad. Perhaps we need to see how bad it can get before we start thinking critically. This will be a very healthy experience for many of us that don’t read history books on a daily basis, I guess. But you’re right, it is concerning.

What bothers me even more about the latest elections in Bulgaria was the fact how few people voted. Are you kidding me? Do people know how much suffering went into securing the right to vote? It’s a powerful right and an incredible duty that everybody has to respect. Seeing people be careless about it drives me nuts sometimes. Vote for whoever you want, but vote. As the saying goes, The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

After the elections here, where by the way 70% of the Danes voted, I asked one of my Danish colleagues, a pretty wise guy, how they achieved this. He said, “Well, we have had democracy for 175 years now.” He remembers being taken to the polls as a three-year-old by his parents. So, it’s about setting the example early on. In Bulgaria, I guess it will just take time.

Exactly. And it’s true that sometimes I’ve had to vote with disgust for the lesser evil, but that’s part of it, right?

Yeah, it is. You take it in the chin but do your duty. It’s a moral obligation. I don’t know. It is complicated. That’s why I became an engineer. (laughs)

What’s your greatest accomplishment so far?

I don’t really have one. My objectives are way up there, and it’s still a long way to go. I consider my achievements thus far as mere steps along the learning curve, not the pinnacle. I’ve learned a lot, seen a lot, and gained a better understanding of how things work.

There has been pain and suffering and many expensive lessons learned, but I’m a bit wiser now, and that’s good enough for me.

You said you read a lot of history books. Do you have a favorite historical person, fictional character or author?

I have several authors that I really like. David McCullough is one. I really like his books and the language he uses. He’s a very passionate writer. You read one of his books, and you feel motivated by history. It’s awesome! Not depressing as history books can sometimes be. I also like Paul Johnson a lot, another good historian.

We live in the best time in human history. I can sit in the middle of Copenhagen talking to you over my laptop as if we are out for a coffee right now.

Do you have words or phrases you overuse?

As we deal with code and machines daily, we engineers use the f-word a lot, so it is a bit of a battle for me to stop using it when something bad happens.

Which talent or new skill would you most like to have? You said math was not one of your skills in high school, but then you went and added math to your skillset. What is next?

I want to understand plasma physics now.

I thought you were going to say Danish there.

No, I decided not to learn Danish. I was just about to start lessons when I did a risk-reward assessment. It turned out the risk of not learning Danish very well is very high. To be fluent in Danish, you have to speak it daily for about five years, and I don’t have that kind of time. Plus, all Danes speak English. In fact, the language I want to learn next is Greek. A lot of people in my family speak it, and we have many friends there, so it will be a better return on the time investment.

Going back to plasma physics, there is a lot of talk about nuclear fusion right now. It is awesome and I love it. I think it’s only a matter of time before somebody develops a working reactor. When that happens, I’ll go work for them. It’s a bit complicated, and I haven’t gone into too much depth yet but it’s such an interesting field. Understanding how it can be improved and what we can do with it is very exciting. If it goes online, it’s climate dominance; we can do anything we want as a species on this planet, and that’s a pretty cool thing. Unfortunately, I also think it might kill the wind energy business, but that’s all right. The best idea survives and that’s it.

Do you have a favorite place to be or a place you dream of visiting?

I don’t really have a place I dream of going to. I like to be surprised: to just pinpoint a place on the map, go there, and discover things as I go. It’s surprising how much you can find in a remote village in the middle of nowhere that’s interesting and enriching.

I don’t like going to places like Paris or Venice or other very popular tourist destinations. What’s the fun in going to a place full of people that’s super expensive and you already know what to expect? Where is the adventure in that?

I want to go to the International Space Station one day though. Experiencing life without gravity would be awesome.