Tennessee Valley Authority EnergyRight Solutions for Higher Education Intern Program at Maryville College

Abstract

Among the ways students in higher education prepare for the ever-changing fields of energy efficiency analysis and workplace sustainabil ity, few experiences match the strong learning outcomes found when students work alongside professional organizations currently engaged in finding sustainable energy solutions. The Ten nessee Valley Authority (TVA) EnergyRight Solutions for Higher Education® (ERSHE) Intern Program is such an experience. TVA ERSHE has hired students as interns from four East Tennessee colleges or universities to participate in the program. The schools are expected to focus on generating real energy savings and promoting campus awareness of energy efficiency and renewable energy through student/staff-focused projects that the interns propose, research, and implement. Staff from TVA, the nation’s larg est public utility, and consultants from Willdan Energy Solutions, working with campus faculty sponsors, train and communicate with the interns. Program benefits include tangible campus energy savings, student professional career and team-building skills training, along with learning of content knowledge in the field of sustainable energy auditing. Student communication with energy industry professionals, writing and submission of progress reports and project updates, and development of energy project scopes of work all develop individual skill-building in such areas including, but not limited to, data analysis and interpretation, collaborative communication, and self-assessment towards meeting goals to succeed in an energy-related career. One college’s student intern cohort, representative of diverse majors including design, environmental studies, business and management, and biochemistry, exhibited strong collaborative team work, and utilized their wider educational experiences to help inform them of the energy issues on their campus and provide holistic, productive solutions to a variety of campus and workplace energy problems.