Gianluca Tonolo MSc Sustainable Energy Technologies, 2011

Energy Efficiency Indicators and Data Expert (Senior Statistician), International Energy Agency

Life in Southampton was great, and I made some lifelong friends. The city, even though it’s fairly small, offers a lot of green areas where you can walk, do sport or just meet with friends.

Can you provide a brief summary of your time at Southampton?

Life in Southampton was great, and I made some lifelong friends. The city, even though it’s fairly small, offers a lot of green areas where you can walk, do sport or just meet with friends, as well as many bars and pubs where you can have fun. The University is a big part of Southampton’s city life, making the average population really young and so very good for a student.

What was the highlight of your time as a Southampton student?

I enjoyed meeting students from a diverse range of cultural and technical backgrounds. One of the best parts of the course were the group projects where we could discuss openly about our ideas with a cup of coffee or a beer.

What did you enjoy most about your course?

The University’s professors are very knowledgeable and the lectures go very deep to content (research level), leaving the student with a deep understanding of their subject.

What were your supervisors like? Did you find them supportive?

In my case, my supervisors were very flexible and helpful as well as very skilled in their topic.

How did the facilities available at the University help you with your research and project work?

The laboratories I used were great, and during the summer, while I was completing my experiment for the MSc dissertation, I had a lot of space to myself.

What is your current role?

I am an Energy data expert. I analyse energy data quality and create analysis and indicators as well as statistical publications. I travel to workshops and conferences to deliver presentations about energy.

In what ways does the course you took at Southampton help you within your career?

The solid technical background in Energy is very important in my daily job, because I understand what is behind the numbers.

What has been your greatest career achievement so far?

I think the greatest achievement is being recognised by colleagues and external stakeholders as an expert in your topic, for example by being called to speak in a conference.

What advice would you offer to potential students?

Study what you really like. Energy and technology is what I like and this is why I am happy in my everyday job. While studying, do not focus only on the content or on finishing a project, but on the process of how you do something, so that you can apply what you learn to many different areas.