Graduate (9-months) - Mechanical Engineering - Concentrating Solar Power Design Optimization Intern

Posting Title

Graduate (9-months) - Mechanical Engineering - Concentrating Solar Power Design Optimization Intern

Location

CO - Golden

Position Type

Intern (Fixed Term)

Hours Per Week

Working at NREL

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

Join a team of world-class scientists, engineers, and visionaries dedicated to shaping the world's energy future through cutting-edge research and innovation. From our vision to our NREL community, we are unique in the research community. We are focused on impact. From our work in basic sciences to systems engineering, analysis, demonstration, and deployment, we are focused on solving market-relevant problems that result in advanced, secure, reliable, and affordable energy systems. We are trusted clean energy leaders, developing cost-saving solutions that make U.S. industries more competitive, and support job creation and economic growth across rural and urban communities.

At NREL, we offer a unique, mission-driven work environment with cutting-edge facilities and multidisciplinary research teams. NREL's environment offers strong partnerships with industry, academia, and other national laboratories, as well as professional development opportunities and a competitive benefits package for employees.

Learn about NREL's critical objectives : NREL's Mission and Vision.

Job Description

In pursuit of resource integration and grid reliability to meet power demands, the ECaSS Center leads innovative and integrated research and development to advance technology in electrochemical, molecular, thermal, and mechanical systems. Within ECaSS, the thermal energy systems group leads research on system modeling and techno-economic analysis of concentrating solar power (CSP) systems with and without hybridization of other renewable energy technologies.

In this project, the candidate will be responsible for conducting gird-scale techno-economic analysis of CSP and photovoltaic systems hybridized with other renewable energy technologies and storage using the Hybrid Optimization and Performance Platform (HOPP). HOPP is python-based open-source software that can evaluate the performance and financial viability of hybrid renewable energy systems. HOPP uses a price-taker dispatch optimization (mixed-integer linear program) to make hybrid system operational decisions, e.g., charging and discharging storage, based on the economic drivers.

The candidate will :

• Identify and compile grid scenarios and system cost inputs for HOPP analysis
• Develop the HOPP analysis workflow (Python scripts) that uses design optimization drivers
• Collaborate with NREL's engineers to develop and test new functionality within HOPP
• Modify HOPP's dispatch optimization model (mixed-integer linear program) to enable new CSP hybrid configurations

With the completion of this project, the candidate will :

To learn more about the work this group does, check out these links :

Basic Qualifications

Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.

Undergraduate : Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor's degree program from an accredited institution.

Post Undergraduate : Earned a bachelor's degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.

Graduate : Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master's degree program from an accredited institution.

Post Graduate : Earned a master's degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.

Graduate PhD : Completed master's degree and enrolled as PhD student from an accredited institution.

Please Note :

Additional Required Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)

Job Profile : / Annual Salary Range : $50,200 - $80,300

NREL takes into consideration a candidate's education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee's salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits Summary

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match

Badging Requirement

NREL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation. Intern assignments extending beyond six months will be subject to this requirement.

Drug Free Workplace

NREL is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.

If you are offered employment at NREL, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Submission Guidelines

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at NREL you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin / ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Reasonable Accommodations

E-Verify www.dhs.gov / E-Verify For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.

E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce.

Salary : $50,200 - $80,300