Favorite Parts Of Working In The Building Energy Industry As An Energy Engineer
Jake, an Energy Engineer at Resilient Buildings Group, finds the most rewarding aspect of the profession is its direct contribution to addressing "immediate challenges," such as climate change and the inefficient energy use in buildings. The work also tackles social issues, improving occupant wellbeing and health within buildings, as highlighted by the impact of building design on health during the coronavirus pandemic, making "a lot of this work...very much needed, um, for people to be happy and healthy."
Environmental Sustainability, Social Impact, Problem-Solving, Building Design, Engineering
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jake Gehrung
Energy Engineering
Resilient Buildings Group
University of New Hampshire
N/A
Environmental & Related Sciences
Energy & Utilities
Consulting
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Addressing climate change by reducing energy consumption in buildings
2. Improving occupant well-being and health through building design
3. Tackling social issues related to affordable housing
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your industry?
I really enjoy that the work I'm doing is contributing to very immediate challenges. Climate change is one of the biggest ones. The fact that we are using way more energy than we should be or need to.
There are so many ways that we can be using less energy in our buildings and contributing less to negative environmental externalities, including the climate. Beyond that, there are a lot of social dilemmas we are confronting with our work. This includes issues with affordable housing and the wellbeing of building occupants.
We saw during the coronavirus how being inside a building can be detrimental to your health if the design of the mechanical system or the spaces isn't cognizant of human health. So, it's really great that our work is contributing to pressing issues that are always coming up in society.
A lot of this work is very much needed for people to be happy and healthy in the spaces where they spend most of their time.