Challenge yourself to make a real impact
Heating homes with gas boilers accounts for a large share of the UK's energy demands. A more sustainable alternative exists in air-source heat pumps, powered by renewable electricity – but there’s a catch. If too many are switched on at once, the pressure on the electricity grid can spike.
I developed a new model capable of accurately predicting indoor temperatures. The aim was to improve how heat pumps are controlled while also finding ways to stagger energy use – keeping homes comfortable while reducing energy peaks.
Build new skills, fast
What drew me to this project was how it sits at the intersection of two areas I find genuinely exciting: sustainability and artificial intelligence (AI). Both feel enormously relevant to the world right now, and the chance to combine them in a single project over a whole summer was too good to pass up.
The project pushed me beyond what I’d learned so far on my course. I hadn't studied AI formally at that point, so there was a real appeal in developing an entirely new set of skills. I had to get to grips quickly with AI techniques I'd never used before, which gave me confidence in my ability to pick up new skills under pressure.
As well as enabling me to step into AI and machine learning for the first time, working on the project also strengthened my programming skills. I also learned how to conduct a literature review and produce a report to a professional standard.
The project really sharpened my ability to present to audiences with very different levels of familiarity with my subject, which is a skill I know will serve me well in my future career. I’ve noticed a real difference in how I approach presentations now – I feel far more confident than I did before the summer.
Learn alongside experts
Without doubt, the highlight for me was the people.
The project was sponsored by SustAI, and I had the pleasure of working closely with the University's Energy and Climate Change division. I was also fortunate to share my findings with the team at Good Energy, who had provided the dataset I used to develop the model.
Those conversations – sharing ideas and being challenged – were some of the most engaging moments of my summer.
It was really rewarding to be taken seriously as a researcher. Seeing something you’ve built actually work, and knowing it could contribute to a real-world solution, makes it feel very worthwhile.
It was really rewarding to be taken seriously as a researcher. Seeing something you’ve built actually work, and knowing it could contribute to a real-world solution, makes it feel very worthwhile.
Alexander, fourth-year engineering student
From summer project to national stage
At the end of the summer internship, I presented my work at a poster event – I was awarded best undergraduate presentation, which was a lovely surprise!
I then drafted an abstract, with the support of a PhD student from my group and was delighted to be accepted to present my research at the British Conference of Undergraduate Research.
At the conference, I participated in the poster presentation session. This involved answering questions from a varied audience across the day. Some of the questions gave me a different insight into the work I had done, and others were challenging, which gave me the chance to develop skills in explaining my work under pressure.
Meeting students from such a wide range of disciplines, all presenting their original research, was really inspiring.
Taking the chance
I’d advise anyone considering a summer internship to go for it, even if you don’t feel ready.
I was apprehensive at the start because I’d never worked with AI before, and it seemed a big step up from what I’d been doing, but the support was there from day one. That feeling of being out of your depth quickly gives way to something much more rewarding.
The other thing I’d say is to take ownership of your experience. Don’t be passive. Bring your own ideas to the table and shape the work in a direction that genuinely interests you. Your supervisor will have a vision for the project, but some of the most valuable moments for me came from pushing back or suggesting something new, and that kind of initiative shines through in the quality of the final output.
Finally, talk to as many people as you can, even those who don't seem directly connected to your work. Some of the most useful perspectives I gained came from unexpected conversations, and you never quite know where a casual chat might lead.
New skills lead to new insights
My internship gave me a real taste of what it looks like to apply engineering thinking to climate-related problems, and it's confirmed that this is an area I want to explore further in the future Whether that's through continued research, or through industry work that has a clear positive impact, I want to feel like my work is making things meaningfully better.
Visit the Undergraduate Summer Research Internships page to find out more about the programme Alexander took part in.