Generative AI for Building Energy Retrofitting

Source: https://ircell.iitkgp.ac.in/ftp/blogs/ftp/3f7387aa-72d0-4901-b1a9-442280938795/ Parent: https://ircell.iitkgp.ac.in/ftp/

I believe that CGPA is a very important factor in university admissions, and I would say it’s the most crucial one

Which University did you apply for a research internship and Why did you apply for thisUniversity?

By the end of my second year, I had already done a startup internship, and I was looking for internships at some good colleges. Then, I found one at CGBS, the Cambridge Business School. However, I couldn't go through with that at the time because I didn’t have enough time for other commitments.

On the other hand, the FTP application process, I would say, is very convenient for

anyone to go through. I applied to universities that had very good QS rankings because I saw that my CG was pretty good. So, I was confident that I could get into a good university. The University of Sydney, which also has a great QS ranking, was one of them.

Was it Onsite or Remote ?

My internship was a remote one.

Can you briefly describe the research project you have worked on?

So, my project was titled "Generative AI for Energy Building Retrofitting." It focuses on how homeowners can renovate their houses—such as changing walls or windows—to reduce electricity consumption. While this practice is not very common in India, given its status as a developing nation, it is a significant trend in countries like Australia and the US, where governments are actively monetizing such initiatives.

What are the selection criteria, and how much do the CGPA and SOP matter?

I believe that CGPA is a very important factor in university admissions, and I would say it’s the most crucial one. When I applied to the University of Sydney, the professor mentioned that he received around 300 to 400 applications, making it extremely challenging for him to shortlist candidates. He applied a CGPA criterion and started from the top, which emphasizes how significant CGPA can be in a competitive application process. And, Statement of Purpose (SOP) also plays a decent enough role, although its importance can vary depending on the professor. I think the SOP should be a summary of your CV, highlighting what you have already done. Even if the professor doesn't have

time to read the entire CV, they can quickly look at the SOP to see the names of the projects you've worked on, giving them a better understanding of your background and experiences.

What previous experience do you have that you think will be beneficial for this internship?

I have been a part of the business club, where I learned the basics of analytics and financial strategy. In my second year, I started to capitalize more on analytics by taking on some personal projects. This steady focus on developing my skills has helped me a lot. For the University of Sydney project, the professor explicitly mentioned that you don’t need to know everything from the start, as native AI can be quite complex. He indicated that prior knowledge wasn't a significant factor in the selection process, although having some background could certainly help during the project. Essentially, if you have knowledge, that’s great, but I don’t think anyone would expect a second-year

student to possess extensive expertise in such a challenging area.

Were there any significant challenges you faced during your research? How did youovercome them?

My professor is really, really good. However, a basic challenge could be delayed

communication, especially when you're not in the same institution. For example, if you're at home during the internship, and there are four or five people who need to communicate and act as a group for the research, this can create hindrances at certain points. While it was not a significant issue for me.

Sometimes, the professor has a specific timeline in mind for tasks, but that can get hindered. In our case, the professor couldn't obtain the data set on time, which caused a delay of about 15 to 20 days. We managed to cover that time later, but such issues are not always predictable. They can easily be overcome, but it does take time. You might find yourself sitting idle for those 15 to 20 days, doing a little less work, and then having to rush things at the end to catch up.

How do these types of internships contribute to the academic or career goals of students?

It really helped me a lot because, from the perspective of the CDC, having a good university with a good QS ranking on your CV is a strong point. For example, I had two CVs, and in both of them, the University of Sydney was listed. I explicitly mentioned the work I did there, and that really helped me a lot. I think I received many shortlists from consulting firms and others because of it. In all of my CVs, that experience was included, and it is truly a CV booster.

How can anyone tailor their CV to highlight relevant skills and experiences for a research internship?

For the research internship part, I think that if you don't have prior internships or prior research experience, then POR (Positions of Responsibility) don't really matter that much. In fact, your projects would matter more. Let's say you are interested in a specific part of data science; if you have one or two projects regarding that exact thing from a particular university, it gives you a very high leverage to get selected.

How did Students' International Relations Cell help you in getting this internship ?

It has played a really good part in my experience, and I would like to appreciate the work done by SIRC because it is very convenient for students. You just have to go there and submit your CV.\ The portal is really nice, and the application process is well-structured. You receive all the updates on the pages and in WhatsApp groups right from the start. The descriptions are very clear, and all the deliverables are mentioned, so you can easily access that information. It's not fake at all; it's very convenient to use and to move forward with. Even after the interview process with the professor, everything is very transparent, so there’s no issue at all.

What advice would you give to someone considering a research internship abroad?

Once again, CGPA is a very important factor, but you can't really change that at this point in time. If someone is looking for a good research internship right now, they should start working towards that for this semester or the next. Additionally, if there is a specific listing that interests you and you have related projects, you should mention those in your CV and try to be thorough with the Statement of Purpose (SOP), as I think SOP also plays a crucial role.