With government and industry chasing net zero targets and focusing on renewable energy sources, there has been an explosion of new areas of study and careers for the next generation of engineers. Alex Stamenkovski, Ampcontrol Graduate Engineer, graduated from the University of Newcastle with a degree in renewable energy engineering. With a specialised interest in renewable energy, Alex was the first to put up his hand to participate in the Curtin University Sustainability Challenge. Here, Alex shares his experience of playing mentor to university students.
AS: “Renewable energy was a new and exciting field to get into. I expected renewables to be a growing industry with hopefully attractive career opportunities. The degree covered a broad range of topics and provided me with knowledge in electrical and chemical engineering.”
AS: “The challenge provided undergraduate students with a hands-on learning experience through an intensive unit that explored current global sustainability megatrends, including Net Zero Emissions and the Circular Economy.
The students were given the opportunity to build their professional network, gain industry experience, and receive 25 credit points toward their degree.
I presented the challenge brief to a team of students and participated in a Q&A session, where students asked questions about the brief and shared their ideas.
Each team of students then presented their solutions to Curtin University, the industry partners and their academic mentors during the Showcase Night.”
The challenge was a great opportunity for Ampcontrol to gain exposure at Curtin University and potentially improve our recruiting opportunities in the Perth area as we look to expand our operations on the West Coast.”
AS: “Matt Rule, Ampcontrol Principle Renewable Solutions, worked with Josh Byrne, Curtin University Dean of Sustainable Futures, to develop the challenge brief ‘Energy Transition on the Edge–Adopting Renewables on the Urban Fringe’. The objective was to transition a Perth-Peel grid fringe community from the grid to renewables by 2030. I think our brief was selected because it aligned with the energy transition and provided students the freedom to develop a creative solution.”
AS: “Throughout the challenge, I worked alongside academic mentor Dr. Dean Economou to support a team of students as they worked through the challenge and workshopped ideas.
I also attended the Industry Experts session with Jey Shivakumar, Cossil & Webley Consulting Engineers, Principal of Energy and Transformation Services. There, I was able to provide input to several student queries after the presentation. Several of the students spoke to me one-on-one after the session, and I was able to offer advice based on my industry experience.”
AS: “Group 5 had a creative solution where Ampcontrol would act as an aggregator between a residential microgrid with solar and batteries acting as a virtual power plant or VPP, an electrified Newmont Boddington mine, and the main electrical grid. The idea was that Ampcontrol would distribute renewable energy between the loads and generators to maximise return on investment for all parties. The team produced an interactive, touchscreen page, presented on a large monitor, allowing viewers to click on milestones from today until 2030 and read about the solutions they had produced.”
AS: “I gained more experience and confidence in public speaking and communicating my thoughts and ideas. I pushed myself outside my comfort zone, and I really enjoyed interacting with and supporting the students.”
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