What does a Project Development Engineer get up to? We find out in the next instalment of our International Women’s Day celebrations, featuring Millie Cooney. Millie helps organisations to understand where their energy comes from and how they can move towards net zero in a practical and reliable way. Read what she had to say about her role:
"I work with energy intensive organisations such as hospitals, universities and cities, helping them reduce carbon emissions while making sure their energy systems remain safe, resilient and fit for purpose.
I spend time on site understanding how heat and electricity are currently generated and used, and where improvements can be made. This might involve reducing energy demand or introducing low-carbon technologies such as heat pumps, solar power or energy storage, for example battery storage.
In hospitals in particular, energy resilience is critical - systems must always be dependable, as loss of power or heat could have serious consequences for patient care. A strong example of this is Northwick Park Hospital where we supported a long-term programme to help the site move towards net zero. We replaced an ageing system with low-temperature hot water network and introduced a tailored mix of heat pumps, solar power and battery storage. By working closely with the hospital’s facilities team, we delivered these changes in phases, ensuring energy remained secure and uninterrupted for patient care.
What motivates me most is seeing these projects make a real difference. The solutions we design don’t just reduce energy bills and carbon emissions, they also provide a secure energy supply and create more comfortable environments for building users. Equally important is the commercial aspect ensuring that solutions are not only technically robust but also affordable for clients. By creating guaranteed performance metrics, with penalties if systems fail to perform as designed, we reduce risk for energy users and ensure these solutions deliver real, lasting value."
