Shaping the energy supply of tomorrow

Those who study Energy and Environmental Engineering at RWU have a wide range of professional and career opportunities. In December 2025, we visited graduates of the degree program at their current places of work and talked to them about their careers. This resulted in four video portraits that also reflect the thematic diversity of the energy and environment sector.

An accident as motivation

"The nuclear disaster in Fukushima in 2011 triggered my interest in renewable energies," recalls Clara Pineau. Today, she works as a research assistant at Fraunhofer ISE in Freiburg, where she models energy systems. "I work a lot with the Python programming language, but I also use code that already exists and adapt it for our purposes." According to Clara Pineau, the combination of scientific principles and programming from her studies is particularly helpful to her in her research work today.

Career changer with a child

Lukas König worked as an event technology specialist before his studies and admits: "I passed math with a four in my A-levels and opted out of physics in year 10." During his studies, it was precisely these subjects in which the current electricity grid planner at tws Ravensburg really excelled. "I chose RWU because I already had a young son before I started studying. That's why I didn't want to go so far away." Even if he had to skip the odd party, Lukas König says: "Studying, even with family responsibilities, was no problem. It even worked out in the standard period of study."

His own boss

"People who study energy and environmental technology tend to be more political, they have the drive to protect the environment and make a difference in society," says Georg Wetterling. After completing his studies, he set up his own business and now runs his own limited company, which acts as a general contractor for heat supply using renewable energies. "My studies gave me a broad knowledge base that helps me to coordinate energy projects competently and efficiently. I found the subjects that came after the foundation degree particularly exciting: Process engineering or energy storage," says the Managing Director, who now also works as a lecturer at his former university.

Taking responsibility

"You should be a bit playful with your expectations, be happy about small successes and not expect to change the world from day one," says Julian Hummel. He works at Fairnetz, a subsidiary of Stadtwerke Reutlingen. He is an engineer for the gas and water divisions. In his opinion, the industry is one of the most responsible and future-proof: "People depend on it not getting cold in winter or having enough drinking water available."

The four portraits in pictures

Whether research, supply or self-employment: energy and environmental technology opens up numerous career prospects in an industry that will be needed in the long term.

• The video portraits of the four graduates can be found on the RWU YouTube channel.
• Photo impressions of the graduates' jobs can be found in this photo gallery.
• And here you can find the Energy and Environmental Engineering (Bachelor) program.