Heating your home

Meet Lenga! Lenga is an apprentice engineer at E.ON, working on a project that uses waste energy to heat homes around the country.

 

Hi, I'm Lenga and I am currently undertaking a degree apprenticeship in electromechanical engineering for E.ON and studying at the University of Nottingham while doing it.

The reason I chose to do a degree apprenticeship in engineering is because I always enjoyed STEM subjects in school, like maths and physics, and as such I thought engineering is perfect because that way I get to apply those things in the real world. What I love about my job most is the amount of work I can get involved in, ranging from the theoretical side to the practical side. I can get involved from the very start, modeling things based on theory, and then put them into practice in real-world installations and see how they perform. Being able to work through that entire process is amazing.

The way I got started in engineering is through a degree apprenticeship with E.ON, which I am currently undertaking. Beforehand, I did my A-levels in maths and physics, and I always enjoyed them. At home, I would tinker with stuff, build my own computer, and try to fix things out of my own interest. The company I work for is an energy company, and all my work revolves around energy, including electricity, heating, and even cooling. The impact it has on people's lives is significant as we try to make systems more efficient and better, allowing people to live comfortably in both winter and summer while also helping keep costs down.

The last exciting project I worked on was with fifth-generation ambient temperature networks. It sounds complex, but it's like a normal district heating network, except instead of using big engines and boilers, we use heat pumps. These pumps use waste energy from places like factories and data centers, converting it into a usable temperature that can heat people’s homes and apartments.

When it comes to the skills important for being an engineer, maths and physics definitely help, but being a people person and working effectively in a team are crucial. You'll work with lots of other engineers and non-technical people, and you may need to explain things they don’t understand. Being able to communicate effectively and work as a group to overcome challenges is one of the most important aspects of the job.