Energy Efficiency Intern

Donaldson • Bloomington, MN

2d • $16 - $27 • Onsite

About The Position

Donaldson is committed to solving the world’s most complex filtration challenges. Together, we make cool things. As an established technology and innovation leader, we are continuously evolving to meet the filtration needs of our changing world. Join a culture of collaboration and innovation that matters and a chance to learn, effect change, and make meaningful contributions at work and in communities. The Donaldson internship program provides innovative students with meaningful, hands-on experience in a collaborative industry environment. Through real-world projects, mentorship, and development opportunities, we aim to support career growth and build a talent pipeline aligned with our values and goals. This internship takes place at our Bloomington, MN headquarters, during a 10-12-week period. Donaldson is committed to achieving sustainability goals and reducing operational expenses through energy efficiency. This internship focuses on developing a low-cost, open-source data logger solution to enable sub-metering of production equipment across our global manufacturing facilities. The intern will design a system that monitors digital and analog signals, translates them into energy consumption values, and presents the data in an accessible format for non-technical users. This project supports the implementation of energy management systems such as ISO 50001 and 50001 Ready, while emphasizing cost reduction and operational efficiency. The intern will work within the Manufacturing Excellence Sustainability Team and receive limited support from subject matter experts while being expected to work independently and conduct their own research.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled undergraduate in an accredited program pursuing a bachelor's in electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering (with controls experience), industrial engineering, computer science (with hardware experience) or a related field.
• Programming experience in Python, C/C++, or similar for microcontrollers.
• Hardware experience with Arduino, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone Black or related.
• Electronics experience with soldering, circuit design and sensor integration.

Nice To Haves

• Problem-Solving: Self-starter with strong research and troubleshooting skills.
• Data Visualization: Ability to present data in clear, intuitive formats.
• Networking & Security: Basic understanding of IT security for IoT devices.
• Experience with tools such as Node Red, MQTT, and/or SQL.
• Minimum 3.0 out of 4.0 cumulative GPA.

Responsibilities

• Design and build a low-cost data logger setup using open-source controllers (e.g., Arduino, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone Black).
• Develop a bill of materials and detailed programming instructions for typical industrial monitoring scenarios: Accessing temperature controllers (Omron, Honeywell, Allen Bradley, etc.) Gas valves with pulse or analog inputs Motor runtime monitoring Temperature logging (32°F to 600°F) Pressure (gas or liquid)
• Ensure compliance with IT security requirements for data storage and transmission. Connection to Ethernet for remote access as allowed by IT.
• Create a user-friendly interface for viewing data without programming skills.
• Incorporate energy and cost calculations to make data actionable for management.
• Potentially design and prototype a custom PCB for common manufacturing applications.
• May include limited travel, up to 10% if applicable.

Benefits

• Employee benefits are part of the total rewards package that Donaldson Company, Inc. provides to you. Our benefits program includes retirement plan (401k), paid time away – sick and safe time (MN only), and the employee assistance program.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees