Three second-year engineering students completed their two-month summer internship in Dubai, working on the Baitykool project prototype. Located in the world's largest solar park, this prototype sustainable house, designed to withstand extreme heat, incorporates a number of innovative technologies. It also took third place in the 2018 Solar Decathlon Middle East, and first place in the "Sustainable Development" and "Energy Efficiency" categories.
Our internships consisted of analyzing the various technologies present and their data in order to optimize the functioning of the house. This internship was therefore an asset because we discovered new technologies and learned both on a human and technical level. In fact, most of the time we were the only people present on the prototype, which forced us to be independent and take initiative. We put our knowledge of energy into practice and had to use common sense and resourcefulness.
The first missions on site were very intense, as the building's cooling system broke down on the very first day. This caused the indoor temperature to rise to around 38°C. We then worked with a local subsidiary of Veolia, Enova, to get it back up and running, but to no avail.
From left to right: Lise Mauquie, Axel Orozco, Apolline Bardin (the three ENSAM interns), then Romain Varoqueaux (on a VIE internship in Dubai) and finally, two employees from ENOVA.
Baitykool is a major project at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Bordeaux-Talence: its management team works mainly at I2M, the laboratory located on this campus. We met Romain Varoqueaux, an Arts et Métiers engineer Arts et Métiers class of 2014) who has been working on this project for a year and a half as part of the VIE program.
Beyond the technical knowledge and responsibilities we have taken on, this project has opened the doors to a culture that is the polar opposite of European customs. From culinary habits and clothing to local architecture, we have had to adapt to the coexistence of different nationalities within the same country and to a different way of life.
Finally, on July 29, we had the opportunity to present the BaityKool project in English at ENOC—Dubai's leading oil company—during an annual awards ceremony. It was a very formative experience for us, especially since we won the award for best student project.
Apolline Bardin, second-year engineering student, Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Bordeaux-Talence
