ESE at 11

More than a decade of Energy Systems Engineering graduates

This year, the energy systems engineering degree enters its second decade of launching skilled graduates into the world. Students in the program seek the skills needed to help solve the world's most pressing energy challenges. And they are doing just that. From working on alternative and renewable energy projects, to critical energy infrastructure, to energy efficiency — the program's alumni are out there, making a difference for our future. We asked these alumni to share how they are applying their skills.

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Tina Schnell, '14


Tina Schnell, '14

Senior Project Manager, ASK Energy Inc

"I transferred to Energy Systems Engineering in Bend (back when OSU-Cascades was a single building leased from COCC) because that curriculum was the most aligned with my interests, but it ended up being the perfect background to get me into the energy efficiency space, which is where I found Strategic Energy Management (SEM) programs."

Q & A with Tina

I started as a Civil Engineer at main campus, then balked at the number of concrete classes required in Civil Pro School (back when you had to be admitted to Pro School). I wasn't passionate about concrete, I was passionate about community net zero design and managing energy/waste streams. I transferred to Energy Systems Engineering in Bend (back when OSU-Cascades was a single building leased from COCC) because that curriculum was the most aligned with my interests, but it ended up being the perfect background to get me into the energy efficiency space, which is where I found Strategic Energy Management (SEM) programs.

I interned at Daimler Freightliner in North Carolina's Facilities Engineering team, helping manage enormous plant expansion projects and benchmarking energy use across manufacturing facilities. I interned at Portland General Electric in Oregon's Customer Technical Services team, identifying, scoping, calculating savings of and reporting on capital investment opportunities at industrial facilities to receive Energy Trust of Oregon incentives. Then I found SEM, a year-long behavioral coaching/change management program where we coach industrial or commercial companies how to save energy through low/no-cost projects and integrate energy efficiency into company culture. I've done program admin, program measurement and verification (M&V), program delivery/coaching, and project management for both industrial and commercial programs across the country. Currently I'm the internal project manager for Energy Trust of Oregon's statewide Commercial SEM program, and also help QC the M&V of individual projects for Energy Trust of Oregon's statewide Industrial SEM program. As an engineer-turned-project manager, it was a bit of a challenge to find the subsector of energy efficiency that was right for me, but SEM has offered new challenges to keep me interested over many years.

I believe the ESE curriculum is the most inclusive of non-engineering classes of any of the engineering curriculums, as well as being broader than other curriculums due to the combo of Mechanical and Industrial coursework. This "inch deep, mile-wide" approach sets students up well to trial-and-error their preferred career options — you could work for a utility (like I interned at), or for a company contracting to a utility/entity like Energy Trust (like I do), or for a company that contracts directly to other companies (like system design or system service companies), or for a company directly (either in a facilities department doing actual projects or in a specific energy/sustainability role). Within each of those options there are roles focused on energy efficiency, or renewable energy, or demand/rate optimization, or storage. I think the most valuable advice I can give is to try multiple things, and to stick with each long enough to be able to clearly define what you do/don't like before trying the next. It looks better on a resume AND lets you develop a wider range of skills to apply to the next adventure.

As building and state codes continue to improve, energy efficiency (in general) is a practice with diminishing returns. However, energy efficiency is a crucial first step to take for any improvement/project — you don't want to replace your air compressor until you're certain you can right-size it (i.e. don't spend more money on a larger system that's just going to be wasting energy anyway). You also don't want to try to reach net-zero without first minimizing all waste to ensure you know the correct load you need to offset. You certainly wouldn't want to purchase a backup battery storage system sized to your existing load if 10% of your load isn't needed. Energy efficiency may not be sexy, but it's the easiest, most accessible, and most cost effective first step to any other project even tangentially related to energy.

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Chad Knight, '16


Chad Knight, '16

Chief Operating Officer, EarthCruiser Overland Vehicles

"The electrification of the vehicle industry will require a fundamental shift in the design of recreational vehicles, with factors like weight and energy efficiency becoming essential elements of product success. I am very excited to be involved in the design of products that will shape our electric future."

Q & A with Chad

I was very interested initially in alternative energy generation and storage. I felt then, and still feel that renewable energy research and development is essential to creating a sustainable future for ourselves, and for our children. While my current role is not in renewable energy, I feel strongly that the ESE program prepared me for an engineering role in this space. I greatly valued the way the coursework focused on both traditional and alternative energy sources, providing a well-rounded understanding of both current solutions, and future possibilities.

At my current company, we specialize in creating vehicles designed to perform in the harshest environments with very limited access to resources. These operating requirements make efficient energy generation, storage, and use critical to overall success. My understanding of solar power generation, battery systems, and heat transfer have been essential in new product development over the past 8 years, and have been a significant factor in positioning EarthCruiser as the global leader on expedition vehicle technology.

I have worked on multiple energy related design projects during my career. These include:

  • Development and implementation of vehicle based solar charging systems
  • Design and testing of lithium-ion battery systems
  • Material property analysis, with focus on heat transfer and energy efficiency

One of my greatest challenges to date has been the development of production and operational systems to support the creation of a very complex product, one which integrates multiple energy systems into a very small package. I have leaned heavily on the industrial engineering experience I received from the ESE program, as well as during internships I held while at OSU-Cascades. This experience has allowed me to continually overcome manufacturing growth, development, and scaling challenges.

I’ve found that while the specific energy and mechanical engineering skills have been very valuable, it has been the overall problem solving and critical thinking skills that I developed during the ESE program that have truly served me. My career has followed a different path than I had initially anticipated, and these skills have been invaluable to me as I have grown, and faced new, unforeseen challenges. My advice to current students would be to focus on the fundamentals, and to develop a foundational engineering skillset. Then work to build confidence in your ability to apply this knowledge to different types of problems in a structured and practical way. Thinking like an engineer will serve you well, regardless of the field you choose. I would also highly encourage students to complete business and finance coursework.

The electrification of the vehicle industry. This transition will require a fundamental shift in the design of recreational vehicles, with factors like weight and energy efficiency becoming essential elements of product success. New technologies will be required to electrify systems now operating on petroleum and natural gas based fuels. I am very excited to be involved in the design of products that will shape our electric future.

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Bryndon Light, 16


Bryndon Light, '16

Senior SCADA Engineer, SOLV Energy

"I'm excited about the future of grid storage, and the resulting changes to how we operate and approach the many generating facilities across the world. I'm also excited about the logical systems that are needed to support a "smart grid" — intelligence that is built both locally at generating facilities, as well as on a bigger scale. What a cool industry to be a part of, at such an exciting time in its development!"

Q & A with Bryndon

Having developed a passion for the environment in early elementary school and excelling in math throughout middle and high school, I was excited to find a degree that paired my skills and interests. In reality, my involvement in the ESE program feels like lucky happenstance in many ways. I pursued mechanical engineering at the main campus through my freshman year, and though my experience in Corvallis provided many opportunities for growth, I was interested in completing my degree elsewhere. My incredibly helpful academic advisor informed me of the ESE program, and I knew right away that it was a perfect match for me: engineering, energy and renewables, and located in Bend! The program head (Robin Feuerbacher at the time) was incredibly personable and supportive, and made me feel welcomed by answering my many emails in advance of my arrival. I could not have been happier with my decision to pursue ESE — the faculty, peers and curriculum provided an experience that was exactly what I wanted from university.

I've worked as an engineer at several large companies since graduation and have always felt well supported with ESE as my academic background. Though the academia was great on its own, I've found that the most helpful skills the ESE program has provided in my professional life are the personality traits that were instilled in me from the challenges of the curriculum: collaboration, problem-solving, drive, perseverance, and can-do attitude all play a big part in any engineering role after university.

At Siemens, I designed, built and commissioned automation systems across Oregon. I worked on projects for Apple, Department of Energy, Adobe, University of Oregon, Multnomah Health Headquarters, Multnomah County Courthouse, among others. I managed a lot of scope, including the electrical, power, hydronic, and airflow calculations and AutoCAD designs, contractor RFIs and oversight, programming development and sequence of operations composition, field communications wiring, and on-site testing/commissioning. After a couple years, I became the point-person responsible for the controls designs of several large-scale projects, and the scope I managed was expansive (a stressful, but very exciting experience for a new engineer). I got the opportunity to be a mentor to new engineers who joined the team and led a team of programmers to build complex code on tight schedules. This experience wasn't based in renewable energy but provided a lot of formative and helpful skills that have continued to serve me as I later transitioned to other industries.

At Avangrid Renewables and SOLV Energy, I integrated the automation control systems for newly constructed utility-scale wind and solar plants. I troubleshooted issues with data acquisition (servers, communication protocols, etc), supporting 24-7 national operations control centers, and built the back-end solutions that ensure safe and compliant operation of generating facilities across the U.S.

One of my favorite projects so far was developing a program that administers resets to turbines in downed states — automatically prompting these large generators to regain operation and continue producing power. Over the past year the program I wrote has administered several hundred-thousand commands to get turbines back online. I love being able to take on a technical challenge that has the reward of generating more renewable energy!

I would recommend approaching your career with an open mind. In my case, the position I took out of school wasn't exactly where I wanted to be, but it gave me the opportunity to develop the skills and experience I needed to get where I am today. It's generally considered respectful to give your first job a couple years before moving elsewhere — but keep your long-term goals in mind and work towards them! Don't feel obligated to stick around in your role or industry if it's not where you want to be. Being open for new opportunities, remaining positive and being mindful of your career goals (position, working location, salary, etc) will help you achieve your dreams. One step at a time!

Place emphasis on building relationships with your colleagues — not only does this provide you with good opportunities via networking, but also improves the culture at work, and makes the job fun!

Renewable energy is big right now and doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. At the same time, the grid has room for improvements in both equipment and intelligence. I'm excited about the future of grid storage, and the resulting changes to how we operate and approach the many generating facilities across the world. I'm also excited about the logical systems that are needed to support a "smart grid" — intelligence that is built both locally at generating facilities, as well as on a bigger scale (ie. with how generating facilities interact with one another). What a cool industry to be a part of, at such an exciting time in its development!

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D Hobden headshot


Derek Hobden, '18

Market Development Manager (West Coast), Recurve Analytics

"The energy industry is currently faced with exceedingly challenging problems across the board and there are no silver-bullet solutions. This means that there will continue to be opportunities for a whole host of new technologies and strategies to contribute to the broader goals of fighting climate change and achieving energy equity across the world."

Q & A with Derek

Before my time at OSU-Cascades, I was exposed to the renewable energy industry through an internship with a solar developer in my hometown of Danville, CA. During this internship, I was surrounded by passionate colleagues and mentors, each with diverse backgrounds and expertise. It was the first time in my working life that I truly felt like I was part of a team that consistently brought complex projects to life — and I loved it. I was already focused on completing lower-division engineering coursework at a local community college with plans to transfer into a more traditional field of engineering.

During my internship, I received a piece of wisdom from an energy industry veteran (turned mentor) that would ultimately change the course of my academic career. "The energy industry is expansive, with so much knowledge to be gained and imminent transition expected in your lifetime. If you want a career with near-endless opportunities to learn and deploy knowledge, this is it."

This advice ultimately led me to OSU-Cascades' Energy System Engineering program for my upper-division coursework. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The ESE program enabled me to explore my focused interests in power systems, energy industry landscape/policy, and business all in one focused program. By the time I graduated in 2018, I had completed an additional internship as an electrical systems engineer with a prominent commercial engineering firm and delivered a capstone project where my team integrated a standalone solar+storage power system enabled with a mesh network control system designed for lighting rural pathways, such as cross-country ski trails.

When preparing to enter the workforce upon graduation, my background was widely commended by those I interviewed with. It was clear that the broad, yet industry-aligned curriculum of the ESE program put me in a unique position to land any type of entry-level job in the energy industry with ease. To date, I credit the foundational knowledge from the ESE program to much of my day-to-day work.

What kind of projects have you worked on in your career so far, and what have been some of the biggest successes and challenges?

Since graduating from the ESE program, my path has been rather unique. I accepted a position in a highly-competitive leadership development program with a Fortune 100 energy company that afforded me the opportunity to participate in a variety of roles spanning high-voltage equipment manufacturing, gas turbine maintenance, and new business development. Through this experience, I developed an affinity for uptaking and communicating technical information with ease, which was a skill uniquely sought-after in sales & business development functions. I pursued a career progression that started in utility account management and progressed to strategic business development & power systems development functions. For the last 3 years, I have led conversations at the cutting edge of the energy industry that would result in the implementation of complex behind-the-meter microgrid power systems, large-scale industrial green hydrogen production, utility-scale battery energy storage systems, markets for demand flexibility, and more.

By placing myself at the forefront of the energy industry where policy advancement meets product development and commercialization, I have constantly faced the challenge of besting the status quo with innovative ideas intended to solve problems related to climate change and equity in the energy transition while also facing the realities of institutional investment cycles and policy development. Not every deal makes its way to reality; yet, the ones that do validate my passion to drive meaningful change through my career.

Looking back on your education and career thus far, what advice would you give to current students studying energy systems engineering, and what skills or experiences do you think are most valuable for success in this field?

The renewable energy and climate tech fields, in particular, are full of passionate professionals with diverse backgrounds. If you find yourself driven to make a difference in the world, there is room for you in this space and you will be welcomed with open arms. Your ESE background is highly valuable and still remains unique in the professional world, despite other universities' efforts to produce graduates that are ready for the energy industry.

No matter what discipline excites you the most, start building your professional network in advance of graduation. Don't be afraid to use tools like LinkedIn to ask questions of strangers with positions that you are interested in. The energy industry is a surprisingly small, tight-knit community, and efforts to connect with people are an investment in your future career opportunity. It's a great way to get ahead of the curve!

The energy industry is currently faced with exceedingly challenging problems across the board and there are no silver-bullet solutions. This means that there will continue to be opportunities for a whole host of new technologies and strategies to contribute to the broader goals of fighting climate change and achieving energy equity across the world.

I am most excited about the increasingly attractive cost-effectiveness of localized, low-carbon power systems that stand to deliver higher resiliency, reliability, and sustainability thanks to technology advancements in recent years. I see this as a major part of the solution to our shared problems and am excited to see how the field develops.

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Gertrude Villaverde, '19


Gertrude Villaverde, '19

Energy Engineer III, Energy 350

"Engineering for the planet is hot right now, and time is of the essence in undoing the damage we've done. Be ready to jump in with both feet and advocate for yourself in getting the training you need to start making meaningful contributions."

Q & A with Gertrude

I knew I wanted to engineer for the planet. I wanted to pursue an education in a discipline where I truly believed I could acquire the knowledge to make impactful contributions to global sustainability. I searched far and wide, finding only four undergraduate engineering programs (at the time) that could help me with my pursuit. OSU-Cascades' energy systems engineering program rose to the top of the list with its multi-disciplinary approach, business economics classes, and opportunities for enhanced experiences like working in the Energy Systems Laboratory, affiliation with the MECOP internship program, OSU's Honors College, and a pathway to earn a second bachelor's degree in Sustainability (the last of which I did not pursue). I was drawn to the holistic methodology of the energy systems engineering program and this multifaceted perspective is the backbone of the successes I've had in the industry.

I've worked on a variety of projects in the spaces of production efficiency, energy efficient retrofits for existing buildings, and energy efficiency market transformation in the Pacific Northwest. Some of the biggest successes I've had are on projects where my investigation and analysis of a system resulted in completed projects. In the specific cases I'm thinking of, these projects were not identified before seeing the system and my work truly had an influence on a facility's decision to be more energy efficient. The biggest challenge I face in my career is appetite control. There are a lot of great projects and attractive avenues by which to contribute to the energy engineering field and one does not have the resources to do them all.

For students studying energy systems engineering, I would suggest finding which avenues of energy engineering are most attractive to you. Take inventory of the skills you are honing and talents you have, and find out where your passions are. Those places will be where you have the most influence. If you are able, take on extra projects and trainings/certifications to set yourself apart. There are a lot of great companies hiring energy engineers with experience and anything you can do to bolster your experience before graduation will tip the scales in your favor. Engineering for the planet is hot right now, and time is of the essence in undoing the damage we've done. Be ready to jump in with both feet and advocate for yourself in getting the training you need to start making meaningful contributions.

The future of my field is ever-evolving. What's exciting is how innovative and fast-paced energy engineering is becoming in response to the urgency of climate change. In a handful of years, the work that I'm doing now may not be the most cost-effective way to mitigate climate change and I'll have to adapt my skillset to a different type of energy engineering. But one thing is for sure: I know I have the foundation to do it, and to do it well.

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Kyle Anderson, '20


Kyle Anderson, '20

Development Engineer, Ballard Fuel Cell Systems

"In my current role at Ballard, I am learning to operate and test coolant pumps used in our hydrogen fuel cell systems. Understanding these complex test stations has been a challenge, but successfully gathering quality data from them and presenting it to my team has been a great win that has made the hard work worth it."

Q & A with Kyle

I love spending time in the outdoors and recreating in natural spaces. I also believe that our societies current consumption of energy and resources is not sustainable for this planet. With these two things in mind, I thought that pursuing a career in energy systems engineering would allow me to help transition the world to a more sustainable future by tackling some of the many challenging problems that we face.

After graduating from the ESE program in March of 2020, I started a Masters of Science program at OSU Corvallis studying wastewater treatment in the oil and gas extraction industry. The biggest challenge of my graduate research was building and instrumenting and evaporation system, and then developing an automated control strategy that maintained the desired evaporation rate. The biggest success of this portion of my career was completing my thesis defense and graduating with a MS degree from OSU.

In my current role at Ballard, I am learning to operate and test coolant pumps used in our hydrogen fuel cell systems. Understanding these complex test stations has been a challenge, but successfully gathering quality data from them and presenting it to my team has been a great win that has made the hard work worth it.

First, learning how to research and learn topics that you do not have any experience with is a very valuable skill that I gained during my time as an engineering student at OSU-Cascades. Second, questioning how data are collected, and what conclusions are drawn from them will allow you to more fully understand the situation that you are investigating. Lastly, clear communication and presentation skills will also take you a long way in the expressing your solutions and will really impress those around you.

I am excited to continue to learn from the highly intelligent team that surrounds me at Ballard. Some specific areas of interest for me are setting up and troubleshooting automated data acquisition systems, expanding my data analysis tools in software such as Python, and understanding how many of the first principal models and laws can be apply to a complex, real world system.

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Kurt Watne, '20

 

Kurt Watne, '20

Electrical Design Engineer, Verus AEC

"I am most excited for the future where our field of engineering is networked throughout industry to drive energy awareness & efficiency in our offices, homes, and communities."

Q & A with Kurt

My path in Energy Systems Engineering has been inspired by a lifelong interest in energy and the seemingly unlimited solutions that are fueled by it. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest where we are lucky to have almost all forms of Energy Generation in our portfolio to diversify energy systems. The OSU-Cascades ESE program pushed me to dive deeper as a student of energy. My education prepared me most by encouraging students to seek a close to full understanding of the lifecycle & effects of a system or solution. Rarely is a problem isolated to just one aspect or feature. Oversimplifying a solution can have significant effects in the future to the same or even neighboring systems. In a metaphorical way, my education at OSU taught me that cutting one corner always makes two more.

In my career thus far I have had the opportunity to work for two "boutique engineering" firms that specialize in two different industries; however, the commonality between the work is understanding how a facility or client uses energy to deliver a product or service.

In my first role, I engineered process control, HVAC, and piping systems for Agricultural facilities and clients. This project based job was exciting because I got to work with a variety of farmers and horticulturalists to understand the complexity of engineering for a living growing product. It was a stark contrast from the factory based manufacturing internships that I had previously. In this role, I got to work with a couple dozen facilities on projects like supporting multiple organic local cultivators, developing a production scale garden for a several thousand resident retirement community, and designing a 1.5M sq.ft. dutch style greenhouse facility for growing in the heat of southern California. Some of the challenges as a project engineer often came with the understanding of budget and ROI. Agriculture is a unique industry for the length of WIP product & seasonal profits. Often the non-engineering parts of my role took more stress & effort to coordinate.

I moved on to my current role with Verus AEC to have the opportunity to work in the Energy industry more directly. With Verus, I am lucky to work on a team of talented engineers with the common goal of modernizing critical energy infrastructure and industrial automation. Specializing in controls, I am currently working on controls and efficiency upgrades for a few hydroelectric power plants (run-of-the-river), multiple gas monitoring SCADA sites, & a couple gas storage facilities. Working on energy infrastructure is often as novel as it can be frustrating to deal with designs and documentation that can be 50-100 years old.

With the experiences I have had, I would advise students to take the added time to realize the full scope of a problem. Not to delve into full understanding but to be aware of differing effects upstream and downstream of what is currently being worked on. In school it can be more efficient to move more directly from question to solution; however, in real world solutions there are always multiple consequences that arise even from the “right answer”. I could argue that the technical process for balancing these consequences with the desired outcome is the key to Systems Engineering. For me, success in this field has been driven by the ability to understand, simulate, and communicate the lifecycle of more than one solution. Before jumping head first into a fix, I like to take the time to understand the current state, why a solution is necessary, and where there is flexibility for a better design or solution. Over time, I have learnt that the usual multiple hurdles encountered in any project can be easy to surmount when my team takes the time for a logical step back.

The future is super bright for the types of engineers that ESE develops. The “field” that this program develops for engineers is as diverse as the potential uses for energy itself. It can be easy to point to the rapid growth of the electrification industry as the place to be for ESE students; however, I would argue that an Energy Systems Engineer is best suited everywhere in industry. I am most excited for the future where our field of engineering is networked throughout industry to drive energy awareness & efficiency in our offices, homes, and communities.

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Andrew Baise, '22

 

Andrew Baise, '22

Systems Integrator, SOLV Energy

"I wanted to be involved in renewable energy as a means of fighting climate change and the ESE program is tailored specifically for that purpose."

Q & A with Andrew

I wanted to be involved in renewable energy as a means of fighting climate change and the ESE program is tailored specifically for that purpose. The program gives you a broad understanding of mechanical and electrical concepts that leaves you poised to enter a career in various arenas of energy, from energy conservation to renewable generation, and transmission.

I have mostly worked on supporting SCADA systems installation and integration. Some of the biggest challenges I have faced have revolved around getting up to speed on SCADA technology and terminology, the field is pretty niche. However, I am able to lean on my knowledge of solar systems and high-voltage power electronics I gained while at OSU to help span the gap between things I understand and concepts I need some more experience with.

The concepts are challenging and require a good deal of study to wrap your head around, but staying diligent in your coursework really sets you up for a career in renewable energy. Absolutely go to office hours and take advantage of the other resources offered by the ESE faculty. They are some of the best professors I have had and want nothing more than to see students succeed.

I am excited to see larger and larger percentage of U.S. energy production switch over to renewable energy sources. The demand for energy is currently increasing, and the field is well poised to meet this demand with a variety of new renewable technologies and strategies.