It’s so inspiring to go to work every morning knowing that you and your coworkers are trying
to save the world.
Hi, my name is Erin Brahm and this is my second summer working at NREL, the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory, in Golden, Colorado.
I’m working as part of the Department of Energy’s science undergraduate laboratory
internship, or as we like to call it, SULI.
NREL is a special place to work because everyone here is passionate about finding innovative
and sustainable energy solutions for the future.
Researchers here are working on photovoltaic solar cells, solar thermal, wind turbines,
tidal energy capture devices, algal and cellulosic biofuels, electrical grid integration of renewables,
geothermal, vehicle efficiency, and smart grid technologies.
In the water power program, we like to have SULI interns because they tend to bring in
an influx of new ideas that we haven’t been exposed to, and they also let us explore new
projects that are currently outside our scope of work but could provide promising direction
to research in the future.
For SULI, you get paired with a mentor who is a full-time employee at NREL.
You get your own project and you're mentor is there to get you started and help you whenever
you need guidance or advice.
They're happy to give you advice if you're thinking about graduate school, industry,
or even working in a national lab someday.
By going to practice talks and group meetings with your mentor, you'll get to learn more
about their research and their approach to solving problems.
If cutting-edge research in a national laboratory interests you, NREL is the place to work.
From wind to solar to hydrogen to biofuels, NREL is the only national lab that focuses
exclusively on alternative energy.
You can work at the simulation level, writing code and generating models.
The laboratory level, cutting costs and boosting efficiency.
The testing facility and grid integration level putting everything together.
Or the business and policy side, getting alternative energy on the market.
If you're interested in saving the environment of reducing pollution and greenhouse gases,
and interested in the economic benefits of alternative energy, we encourage you to apply
to SULI and work at NREL.
It’s definitely a summer well spent.
While working in the state of the art laboratory and enjoying breathtaking mountainscapes can
sustain anyone’s enthusiasm, a scientist has still got to eat, and that's why all SULI
interns are paid.
The Department of Energy’s Office of Science will also help cover travel expenses to get
you to Colorado.
Before coming to NREL, I was already aware of many of these technologies; however, my
SULI internship introduced me to one that I had never even heard of before: photoelectrochemical
water splitting.
I found my research here at NREL so exciting that I decided to pursue photoelectrochemical
water splitting as my research focus for my Ph.D. in chemistry.
So working as a SULI intern at NREL has had a tremendous effect on my career as a young
engineer.
So not only am I learning a lot about complex mathematical and physical issues associated
with wave energy technology, but I've had a lot of practice in presenting my work, both
in an informal and formal setting.
Life in Colorado can be pretty fun, too.
NREL is located in Golden, in the foothills of the Rockies, where you can go hiking before
work or during lunch.
NREL is also close to Denver and Boulder, making it easy to go to sporting events, museums,
and performing arts.
NREL is about 15 minutes from Red Rocks Amphitheater, which has local and national artists every
weekend and movies every Tuesday.
There are endless mountains you can hike in Colorado, from smaller foothills, like local
Lookout Mountain, to the taller Rocky Mountains, including mountains over 14,000 feet tall
called 14ers, for anyone who has a sense of adventure.
Colorado has plenty of lakes, waterfalls, trails and beautiful weather.
Almost anywhere you can go, there are opportunities to go hiking, biking, rafting, or even in
the first two weeks of your internship, skiing.
Not only is interning at NREL an enriching experience, but it offers an opportunity for
me to conquer my fear of heights.