Diablo Valley College Building Decarbonization Intern

Be a part of the Climate Solution

Are you interested in energy efficiency and sustainability? Do you want to learn about and contribute to your campus's climate change solutions? SEI's Energize Colleges Program and Contra Costa Community College District are seeking students for the position of DVC Building Decarbonization Intern. Join the Energize Colleges Program to gain real-world experience by contributing to a meaningful project related to sustainability and energy efficiency

Note that you must be a student of Contra Costa Community College District to be considered for this position.

The four goals of the Energize Colleges Internship Program are to:

• Develop intern awareness, knowledge, and behavior associated with energy efficiency concepts, including energy efficiency, demand side management, and electrification.
• Develop interns' technical skills and career readiness by providing training, hands-on experience, and work and/or internship experiences.
• Provide resources and mentoring to increase interns' knowledge of sustainability and energy careers.
• Develop interns' skills in the coordination of energy, education, and workforce development projects.

This internship requires a commitment to working 12-15 hours per week for a total of 150 hours from February 2026 to June 2026. Interns are compensated at $20 per hour. Interns will assist their site with energy efficiency and/or electrification-related projects, the creation of campus education and outreach resources, and/or the integration of energy efficiency, demand side management, and electrification concepts into course materials.

This is a hybrid position; work is conducted on-site and remotely based on project meeting schedules and the interns' school schedule.

Did you know that homes and commercial buildings produce roughly 31% of all greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the United States? (US EPA, These emissions come from creating energy to heat and cool buildings, and provide power for lighting and appliances in buildings. When this energy comes from burning fossil fuels like natural gas, diesel, and coal, it contributes to air pollution and climate change.

To help address these issues, three of the nine Districtwide Sustainability Goals at Contra Costa Community College District (4CD) reduce GHG in our buildings/on our campuses by advancing sustainability in construction, electrification, and operation of buildings at 4CD. Shifting to all-electric and high-efficiency buildings will help reduce emissions at 4CD, improve local air quality, and save on operating costs.

This intern will be directly involved in building electrification in retrofit and new construction projects at Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill campus. Potential projects include the Student Union Building, Physical Science Building, and the new Engineering and Technology building. Work includes but is not limited to:

• Determine and/or analyze potential energy savings through end-of-life equipment replacement and electrification.
• Attend project meetings and Owner/Architect/Contractor (OAC) meetings for the campus building projects listed above, to learn more about the design and construction delivery process and witness projects in action.
• Attend construction site walks as feasible.
• Create a presentation and present to other students/student groups and limited staff about energy efficiency and the impact of these building projects, to DVC. Present to students, such as ASDVC, and staff, such as the DVC Sustainability Committee and the 4CD Facilities Planning Department.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Be a currently enrolled graduate or undergraduate student at the Contra Costa Community College District.
• Be interested in energy efficiency and sustainability.
• Either coursework, volunteer work, or experience in any of the following fields: building professions, energy workforce positions, or energy-related majors.
• Be able to provide a valid Federal W-9 form, required identification, and authorization for employment.
• Must be 18 years or older to apply.
• Be an organized self-starter with excellent time management skills.
• Knowledge, familiarity, and/or a strong interest in climate change and energy efficiency.
• Project management or campus organization experience is a bonus, but not required (volunteer work and coursework may count).
• Strong communication and workplace skills, such as accountability, self-motivation, the ability to work both independently and on teams, respect, openness to giving and receiving feedback, organization, and timeliness.