Training Course for Energy Advisors – “How can youth reduce energy poverty in rural areas?” held in Ancona

The GETA Erasmus+ project is focused on analyzing energy poverty in Western Balkans. As a project partner, UNIVPM, held a course on energy poverty on 28/08-01/09/2023 where all the main information were discussed and properly addressed by experts in the field, starting from the energy situation in Europe and then moving into the Balkans’ context.

During that week, 21 young energy advisers from Sweden, Italy, Albania and Bosnia & Herzegovina gained knowledge about current energy situation on Europe and Western Balkans countries, energy roadmaps, applications of renewable technologies (photovoltaics, solar thermal, biomass etc.) and how they can evaluate energy poverty in rural areas through the developed tool. The experience gained by the students will be used to assess the energy poverty level in particular areas of the Balkans as well as in Europe.

The scope of the training was to equip youth workers with practical experience on estimating the energy poverty in rural areas through the developed tool.  The young energy advisors participated in the Training Course in Ancona, Italy will become the coaches who will lead the local activities in their countries.

During the first day, participants gained knowledge about: Global energy situation and statistics, Energy roadmaps and energy use based on sectors, Key pillars of decarbonization of the global energy systems, energy conversion systems: history, principles and how energy systems operate.

On the second day of the International Training Course was focused on energy poverty concept. The participatnts were informed about energy poverty definition, main factors for energy poverty, vurlnerable groups and gender role  in energy poverty.

On the third day of the International Training Course, the energy advisers listened to the lectures of professors from UNIVPM, Prof. Gabriele Comodi and Dr. Mosè Rossi who shared with them knowledge and information about: Renewable energy communities, Legal and regulatory framework on energy sector, Renewable technologies (photovoltaics, solar thermal, biomass), Energy recovery solution in water distribution networks and in water treatment systems (water-energy nexus).

Students perfomed a practical work group activity and they were split in two groups (female and male) and they had to determine the daily household schedule routine and energy consumption based on the gender role. The energy advisors had to identify: Energy poverty policies, Fnancial Instruments to tackle energy poverty, Actions to support households affected by energy poverty.

The energy advisors also had a site visit on the roof of UNIVPM. They gained knowledge about the hydrogen production plant installed on the roof of UNIVPM, and also for energy production from the photovoltaic plant.

At the end the group celebrated their accomplishments through a Youthpass celebrative certification where participants shared their initial expectations when they joined the training and their satisfactions towards the end of the journey.

The GETA project is co-financed by the European Union and is implemented by a partner consortium consisting of: LIFE Academy  (Sweden), Univpm Università Politecnica delle Marche (Italy), Environmental and Territorial Management Institute (Albania), Regional Education and Information Centre – REIC (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Municipality of Kavaje Njesia e Integrimit Europian – Bashkia Kavaje  (Albania).

Read full aricle at the Project GETA website LINK