May 2011

SP11 PraTLA - First 2 students from Saxony started their practical trainings in Smaland

Two students of the University of Applied Science Zittau/ Goerlitz, Steffi Hänig and Armin Verch, are going to complete their practical training in Smaland - the heart of Southeast Sweden with its typical red houses and a long tradition of energy efficiency-focused and environmental-friendly thinking.

On 6 April the two students reached Sweden. Their first stop was in Växjö, where they took part at the 2 ½ -day component seminar of EnercitEE and got in contact with the participants from five regions in Europe. After some interesting presentations and excursions the students continued their journey towards Oskarshamn.

In the Energy Agency of Southeast Sweden (Energikontor Sydost) they are going to carry out a six month practical training within the EnercitEE’s sub-project PraTLA (Practical training in local authorities). PraTLA will identify specific needs to improve energy efficiency in cities, to find suitable students or trainers as local energy experts and to organise targeted practical trainings within local authorities that provide a benefit for both target groups. These practical trainings will be thoroughly prepared in advance by matching competencies of local energy experts (students/trainers) with specific needs of local energy policies.
The students are going to receive Swedish energy-efficiency knowledge in several project fields by working in ESS, the Energy Agency’s every-day business and participate e.g. in excursions, project kick-starts and meetings. The dissemination of innovative know-how will be ensured through their scientific essays.

Their first impression is that the energy behaviour situation in Smaland is quite different to the one in Saxony: In Malmö most of the buses were already powered by biogas. Almost all water taps have an intelligent function: a built-in resistance at a certain point, in order to prevent high water consumption. In an energy efficient city like Oskarshamn many parking lots are already equipped with sockets for electrical cars. In Växjö, the “Greenest city of Europe”, the efforts towards energy efficient building lead to eight-storey high passive houses built from woods.

“There are many promising projects, networks and good-practices in Smaland. We are happy to be here, to have a great time in Oskarshamn, to extend our knowledge and try our best to gain useful knowledge for EnercitEE’s partner regions.“ the students said.