THE
INTERNS
4 INTERNS
4 WEEKS
9 PROJECTS
Tak attends the Colorado School of Mines, where he is pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering. He is from Palo Alto, California.
Sustainable Engineering Intern
Tak
Gabby is currently attending Cornell University where she studies Mechanical Engineering. She is from Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Sustainable Engineering Intern
Gabby
Katie has her B.S. in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University at Galveston and just completed her master's degree at the University of Houston majoring in Public Relations and Communications. She is from Seabrook, Texas.
Sustainability Communications Intern
Katie
Laurel is currently attending the University of Texas at Austin where she is pursuing a degree in geosystems engineering and hydrogeology. She is from Nanjing, China.
Sustainable Engineering Intern
Laurel
Jake currently attends the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he studies Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is from Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Sustainable Engineering Intern
Jake
OUR PROJECTS
Analysis of Solar Arrays
Gabby and Laurel will collect data and assess all solar arrays on the island to ensure they are performing as they should. 
Transportation Analysis
Tak and Jake will inventory the island's modes of transportation to develop more sustainable solutions for moving things around Appledore. 
Solar Powered Pump
Gabby and Tak will analyze a newly installed, and isolated, green grid (solar energy) on the island which will power the saltwater pump for the marine laboratories at Shoals. They will be investigating solar array orientation for maximum efficiency, while assessing noise levels of the system as well as heat generation.
Depth of Discharge
Laurel and Gabby will test the batteries on the main green grid (solar and wind energy) in the Energy Conservation Building, to see what the ideal depth of discharge (DOD), or draw down, is on the batteries that would still allow the system to function efficiently. This project is important because an increased DOD would allow the diesel generator to run less, however, if the batteries are drawn down too low too often, it may reduce the battery life. Their goal is to find that sweet spot, where they can increase the DOD (run the batteries down lower) to a percentage that will still preserve battery life over time.
Wastewater
Jake and Tak will look into a process/plan for Shoals Marine Lab to remove its own wastewater solids and develop a life cycle analysis for their suggested solutions. One option they have opted to investigate is an aerobic digester – a technology that uses bacteria in the presence of oxygen to consume solid waste. 
Well Test
Laurel and Jake will attempt to learn more about Appledore's groundwater supply by conducting a pumping test at the existing well and will aim to evaluate leakage from the island’s aquifer into the surrounding ocean. 
Refrigeration Evaluation
Gabby and Tak will work to determine the overall efficiency of the island's walk-in refrigerator located in the kitchen. They will document the existing system's components and research energy efficient walk-in refrigeration systems, culminating in their recommendations on what Shoals Marine Lab should do to be more sustainable. 
Rooftop Water for Toilets
Jake and Laurel will utilize Bartels Hall on Appledore Island as a model in order to assess Dorms 1, 2 and 3 for the potential to collect rooftop water in cisterns for use in the dorms’ flushing toilets. This project will help Shoals conserve its freshwater resources.
Rock Talk
The interns will give a 30-minute "Rock Talk" seminar to Appledore residents, telling the story of a generously donated Mobile Renewable Energy Unit (MREU), which is currently allowing for the creation of an isolated grid that will power the saltwater pump at Shoals Marine Lab and lessen the overall load on the island's main green grid.