George joined PNDC in May, Today is his last day and he’s shared his experience with us:

I became aware of PNDC during the process of searching for Scottish research centres for power and energy – the engineering field I have the strongest desire to get involved in on completion of my degree. By a stroke of good fortune, the email and CV I sent to the contact address resulted in an interview in-person at the centre, and I was offered a placement for the summer.

My three months here have, from day one, been consistently enlightening, challenging, and rewarding. I’ve been able to put into practise almost every aspect of engineering I’ve studied up to this point, as well as branching out into completely new territory. I’ve had the opportunity to work under close guidance from junior and senior researchers, as well as being responsible for detailed working under my own initiative. Among many other things, I’ve been constructing power system models, creating and running test sequences on real devices, writing scripts to process raw test data, and even dusting off my cable crimping and termination skills during physical setup.  The range of projects means there’s always something interesting going on, and the capability of the test equipment here – particularly with regards to Power Hardware-in-the-Loop testing – is so powerful, it’s humbling to feel like a part of such an advanced facility, especially when working towards the important goal of further integration of renewable technologies. The working environment is also among the healthiest I’ve experienced. Everyone knows each other and gets along regardless of their role at the centre, with researchers, admin, technical and business staff all taking time for lunch together, it has what my dad would refer to as the “Bletchley Park atmosphere”. It really feels like a collective effort to achieve, and I’ve been made to feel welcome and a part of the team.

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work here, and would definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in the future of power networks and emerging renewable technologies. On return to university, I am scheduled to assist with an ongoing microgrid project as part of my final year, so I’ll be able to apply the skills I’ve learned here almost immediately, as well as keeping everything on board for whatever opportunities await in the future.

PNDC are always looking for interns to join our team, if you are interested in joining please e-mail pndc@strath.ac.uk