Marie Molinier: PPA graduate

EMPLOYER PPA Energy
POSTGRADUATE DEGREE MSc sustainable energy:technology and management, Brunel University
PREVIOUS DEGREES BSc engineering with a major in mechanics, École Centrale de Lille; MSc engineering, École Centrale de Lille

I gained a strong technical and theoretical background from my engineering studies in France, but I wanted to be able to apply my skills to solve practical problems at work. I decided to undertake further study, and I chose Brunel because it has a strong reputation in the field of renewable energy technologies. 

Feasibility of solar collectors

My dissertation covered solar collectors: I assessed the feasibility of using them in UK dwellings to supply both hot water and heating demands. Solar combi-systems are widely used in other European countries and I wanted to understand why the penetration into the UK residential market was so small. My dissertation was carried out in partnership with WSP Energy and Viridian Concept, as I wanted to produce a useful piece of research. Through this partnership I had the opportunity to test solar collectors in real-world conditions and to use pieces of software that are widely used in consultancy companies.

Gaining practical skills

My masters helped me to bridge the gap from study to work, as several lecturers had strong industrial backgrounds and taught us how to use theory to solve practical problems. It also gave me the opportunity to develop teamwork,communication and presentation skills. These are often neglected in pure engineering studies, but are fundamental to a successful professional life. 

Into the workplace

Soon after I graduated, I became a renewable energy consultant at WSP Energy, the company that had partnered my dissertation. I worked on projects ranging from sustainable master-planning to solar panel design. After a few months, I managed a renewable energy feasibility study for Paddington station. I was also involved in a massive project in Dubai, creating a resources model (water, waste and energy) and assessing the impacts of policies and regulations on water and energy demands, and waste generation. I gained a lot of knowledge and became a specialist in sustainable water and waste management. After a year, I decided to seek a more technical job, and joined PPA Energy as a consultant. I work on various aspects of the energy supply in developing countries, including making feasibility designs for renewable energy technologies.