Since its very beginning, BPL has been a resource for CUNY students interested in building energy research and looking to gain a foothold in building engineering and energy service careers. We offer paid internships that give students front-line experience with a variety of interrelated topics, including energy data collection and analysis, building operator behavior, and building performance protocols such as the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Building Re-tuning.
As the City’s only public university, CUNY is an essential career training ground for a large population of students that frequently hail from underserved populations. Many students are immigrants or the first in their family to attend higher education, and the hands-on training opportunities that BPL provides give them access to a ladder of professional opportunities, and we take this responsibility very seriously. An internship is the start of a career ladder that has led, for many of our students, from an associate degree program to a bachelor’s degree program, and beyond.
We work with students to place them in internship assignments that align with their skills and career goals, and we offer informal – yet effective – job placement services after graduation. We’ve helped students find jobs at energy service firms such as Steven Winter and Associates, public agencies such as the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, and property owners and managers such as Vornado Realty Trust.
We recruit and train interns through our annual Energy Boot Camp, a free three-day training program for CUNY students that focuses on practical building operations and energy topics not typically covered in the classroom. The students come from CUNY’s programs in engineering, architecture, facilities management, mathematics, information technology, and other technical disciplines.
Interns are frequently placed internally at BPL. The DCAS Energy Data Lab (EDL), run in partnership with the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services, is our most prominent internship program. Students are also deeply involved in our development of “noBAS BRT,” a Building Re-tuning protocol for buildings that do not have Building Automation Systems, while others assisting in other initiatives, including the Field Equipment Lending Library, our continuing education program, and communications.
We have also placed students in internships at private and public partner organizations, including:
- Amicus Energy Solutions
- CUNY Office of Design, Construction and Management
- Bright Power
- New York City Department of Education
- NYC DCAS Division of Energy Management
- Vornado Realty Trust
We welcome inquiries from:
- Students interested in attending the Energy Boot Camp and becoming interns
- Organizations interested in hosting interns
- Parties interested in funding internships
Check out our internship programs or contact us to learn more.