Energy Fellow

If you’re passionate about building decarbonization and energy efficiency and sharing results and solutions with the rest of the world then this may be an opportunity for you!

About CSU Dominguez Hills Central Plant Operations and Strategic Energy Projects

California State University, Dominguez Hills provides transformational educational experiences grounded in culturally sustaining practices, innovative research, creative activity, and community engagement for undergraduate and graduate students.

Strategically located in Carson in response to the 1965 Watts Rebellion, CSUDH was designed to bring educational opportunities to underserved communities in South Los Angeles. CSUDH sustains its commitment to social, environmental, and educational justice by providing a high-quality education that leads to personal and professional success, economic and social mobility, and mutually beneficial and reciprocal relationships with the surrounding communities and the local K-12 and community college systems. A Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) enrolling the largest number and percentage of African American students on any California State University campus, CSUDH is well known for its commitment to social mobility and environmental justice. 

A national higher education leader in sustainability and energy efficiency efforts, from 2019 to 2022 CSUDH reduced its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 50% as part of its ongoing and continual efforts to operate our buildings and Central Plant as efficiently as possible. CSUDH is on the cutting edge of energy efficiency technology implementation in a university environment and has over a dozen national, state, industry, etc. awards and recognitions for its leadership in this space.  

Position Overview & Description

The campus has access to a variety of state-of-the-art monitoring software, data analytics, and controls to assist in the management of energy and utility consumption in multiple applications. This includes (but is not limited to) Central Plant equipment, campus-wide lighting, building utility sub-meters, overall campus utility consumption, fume hood alerts, leak detection, etc. However, correct data is critical to moving the needle towards a more sustainable future. The Energy Fellow would learn how to confirm and verify that data and provide the necessary analytics to inform and influence our energy performance in these areas. In this position they will have the opportunity to learn applied skills in managing these types of technologies and also be able to test out theoretical concepts in the real world. 

They will also be able to learn important skills related to campus stakeholder engagement as well as coordinating with internal departments and external utilities and vendors in order to support our energy efficiency goals. The Fellow will have opportunities to analyze and synthesize data and best practices in order to share the outcomes of these projects with the larger world. Much of this work is encapsulated by CSUDH’s participation in the first-ever utility program to actively reduce behind-the-meter greenhouse gas emissions: the Clean Energy Optimization Pilot (CEOP) program in partnership with Southern California Edison. The Fellow will be a key member of the team in ensuring CSUDH’s ongoing performance to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions under this program and supporting our multitude of associated initiatives to lower our greenhouse gas impact. At Central Plant, our motto is “If Better is Possible, then Good is not Enough”  

Responsibilities

• Support continuous building efficiency improvement efforts while also learning how to use advanced building analytics (Skyspark).
• Retrocommissioning and fine-tuning of information systems and data related to energy operations. Examples include (but are not limited to):
• Create detailed maps with building meter locations based on GPS coordinates.
• Perform water meter audit to confirm meter data matches online portal and work to correct as needed.
• Assist with the direct project management of energy efficiency projects in campus buildings:
• Supporting fluorescent to LED retrofits with advanced Enlighted controls (2 buildings)
• Pneumatic to DDC retrofit from start to finish including commissioning (1 building).
• Engagement with campus users to support energy commissioning efforts of existing systems:
• E.g. Room scene assessments and adjustments for campus users to increase energy efficiency and occupant comfort for existing campus lighting systems.
• E.g. Training and engagement for lab users on energy efficiency features in campus laboratory fume hoods. 
• Develop marketing resources and best practice-sharing materials based on project successes. Support presentations of data results for public speaking events, conferences, LinkedIn, etc.

Desired Qualifications

• Ability to apply critical common sense thinking in a real-world environment as opposed to purely theoretical applications.
• Strong logic/cause-effect understanding (i.e. if this happens, then this will influence that)
• Strong mechanical engineering understanding: conceptual skills around mechanical interactions. 
• Strong skills in Microsoft Excel with the ability to create pivot tables.
• Engineering field focus with some understanding of sustainability concepts. 
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to learn different forms of software.
• Willingness to interface with the public/conduct presentations and learn new things.

We encourage anyone who is interested in this position and who meets some of the qualifications to apply, even if they do not meet all of them. We recognize that a unique perspective and background can enhance a role when many, if not all, of the listed qualifications are met.

**If you would need to relocate for this position, please note that you need to be in the state you are relocating to no less than 10 business days before the start of the fellowship.**

Benefits

• End-of-program financial award​.
• Healthcare coverage with 100% of healthcare insurance premiums covered by the employer.
• Access to a national Member Assistance Program, which includes financial and legal assistance, medical advocacy, and counseling services. 
• Professional and Personal Development Training
• ​Career-readiness training in interview preparation, salary negotiation, and developing a professional resume and cover letter.
• Attending panels, workshops, and presentations by climate resilience industry professionals. 
• Professional networking opportunities. 

About Climate Corps

Climate Corps, a program of SEI, is an award-winning fellowship program that provides professional development opportunities for emerging leaders through the implementation of sustainability and resiliency projects with local governments, nonprofits, and for-profit businesses. To see a full list of climate, energy, and sustainability positions posted by Climate Corps, please visit here: https://jobs.climatecorps.org/listings. We are constantly adding positions, so make sure to frequently check this site to see if there are new opportunities available.

SEI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity. We believe that a wide array of perspectives contributes to creative climate solutions where all communities thrive. We strive to reflect diverse communities, especially those most impacted by climate change and other kinds of environmental, social, and economic injustices. Persons of color, persons with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ community are strongly encouraged to apply. A commitment to work and learn within an anti-oppression framework is required. https://www.seiinc.org/dei.html