Smart Metering and Smart Grids will be a necessity in the future and a key part of National Grids work. So we need smart students to make this happen. A Power Academy Scholarship with us can offer you an incredible insight into an energy company, plus you can see if we are the right ft for you longer term. Wanted: Smart students Power Academy benets Ideal way to develop hands-on experience in a large organisation Excellent exposure to the Energy and Power industry Provides a head start for your career and will give you an insight into different career paths Places you in a strong position for future opportunities with National Grid Opportunity to gain a broader understanding of our whole business Deliver excellent performance during your placement and you will be offered an opportunity on our Graduate Development Programme at the start of your fnal year, leaving you free to concentrate on achieving that all important grade Opportunity to work across the UK (must be willing to work away from home) Before you start, we will contact you to discuss your project in order for you to have the best development experience possible. We will also provide ongoing feedback and support throughout your programme An exceptional opportunity to see inside National Grid and see if were the company for you Salary - 15,000 pro rata Graduate Buddy to support you during your placement The Power Academy gave me a great variety and breadth of experience in Engineering, and allowed me to hit the ground running on the Graduate Programme. David Adkins, Technical Engineer Power Academy TOP COMPANIES TOP COMPANIES 2013/14 http://careers.nationalgrid.com Megan Doyle University of Bath The project I worked on this summer was with another of the Power Academy scholars; we were based in the Asset Integrity team who predominantly focus on the repair and replacement of existing equipment on the system. Our project over the eight weeks was to investigate National Grids current philosophy of dealing with sulphur hexafouride gas leaks in equipment and to produce a strategy document detailing how this could be altered to further reduce the leak rate. Initially, there was a vast amount of data and work completed internally for us to evaluate, as well as the necessity for us to gain an understanding of the current strategy. We then continued this project by building a model with the various factors that would impact the leakage rate and set ourselves the target of achieving 0.5% leakage rate by 2020. Using the model, we investigated how plausible this target was and the wider implications it would have within National Grid. Along with our completed model, we produced a strategy document which detailed how the current strategy would have to be amended to achieve our target. All of this work will be taken forward and used to progress the project further. The opportunity to produce a tangible result which has real life implications is the main reason I chose this project and it was defnitely worthwhile. Ryan Monaghan Manchester University Non-invasive vibrational analysis of HV circuit breakers was carried out over an eight week period within the Asset Policy department at National Grid UK. The main aims of the project were to obtain vibrational signatures from a verity of circuit breaker families for condition monitoring purposes. Training was provided by very welcoming and helpful staff, consisting of various site visits to refurbishment centres, substations and test sites. Testing was carried out at a training facility on a number of circuit breakers. The tests consisted of a high speed camera to check for delayed breaker operation, a directional microphone and analysing unit to obtain an audio recording, and an accelerometer connected to an oscilloscope to obtain the vibrational waves through the breaker casing. The raw data was analysed using MATLAB and the acoustic signatures were created. A report was produced and a presentation was given, describing the methods and procedures adopted with clear indication for future work. Personally, this project was extremely benefcial for my development as an engineer. I was able to work as part of a team while liaising with various departments across the business, mixing academic and practical skills at a highly professional level in an enjoyable and friendly environment. Ross Strachan University of Strathclyde During my 2014 Power Academy placement I worked with the Offshore Network Development Team in National Grid House, Warwick. The Offshore Network Development Team is responsible for developing a connection offer for an offshore developer, generally wind farms and interconnectors. I chose this project because I wanted to gain a better understanding of how offshore wind is developing as a renewable energy source within the UK. As part of my placement I was asked to produce a fowchart that would detail the connection offer process. During my placement I spoke with various National Grid employees from different departments in the company. I also referred to legal documents that National Grid must adhere to when operating the electricity network. Furthermore, I attended several meetings with external companies who are currently in the process of connecting their wind farm to the electricity network. The information I gathered during the research stage of my placement allowed me to develop the fowchart and a supporting document detailing the connection offer process. I presented my work to both my fellow Power Academy scholars and the Offshore Network development Team. David Adkins Southampton University I left Southampton University in 2010 with my Masters in Electronic Engineering. I had secured my graduate scheme place with National Grid, so I deferred and took some time out to become a qualifed ski instructor and work for Syngenta. Since joining National Grid in 2011 I have had six formal roles, with multiple projects in each, my career has been anything but slow-paced! Every role has brought its own challenges, from applying my degree directly by designing the future National Grid Transmission network in System Design, to widening my skill set in Public affairs, building a deeper relationship with DECC and running one of our campaigns, to my latest role as a Best Practice Engineer, where I am deploying National Grids new way of working (Performance Excellence), into both offce and operational teams across the South. National Grid is such a big company, with so many teams, it is a fantastic place to develop quickly and get on in your career. Next step unknown as yet, but next goal is Engineering Chartership! http://careers.nationalgrid.com