With a Little Help from Berlin
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REVIEW SOLAR SCHOOLS Practical training situations at the DGS Solar School in Berlin. The “German Energy Centre – Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency” in Skopje, Macedonia, is also based on the DGS model. Photos: DGS Landesverband Berlin Brandenburg With a little help from Berlin The DGS, the German Section of the International Solar anywhere worldwide help in setting up educational institutions and training the future teaching staff. Energy Society (ISES), offers support in building up solar Schools in Skopje and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, are the first visible successes. schools throughout the world. Examples in Macedonia The DGS is Germany’s oldest solar energy associ and Ethiopia show what such a project can look like. ation. In 2005, the organization, which regards itself as a consumer protection association, celebrated its 30th anniversary. The DGS publishes technical litera acedonia is not a country that is frequently ture such as manuals on photovoltaic systems (avail reported about in the context of sustain able in English under the title “Planning and Install Mable energies. But even this SouthEast ing Photovoltaic Systems”) and on solar thermal en European country with a little over two million inhab ergy installations, it draws up expert reports and itants is turning away from conventional energy takes an active part in the work of various bodies on sources – especially since the end of 2005, when a state and the federal level. “The DGS Solar Schools Macedonia obtained the status of candidate for ac Association was founded in January 2006”, reports cession to the European Union. At the beginning of Liliane van Dyck, the Solar Schools Coordinator. The 2009, the Macedonian Minister of Economy Fatmir nine schools, which are distributed over seven Ger Besimi announced that his country intended to tackle man states, are usually integrated into vocational the EU target “20 percent by 2020” already ahead of schools and environmental centres. time. The German Energy Centre – Renewable Energy The DGS offers courses in the fields of photovol and Energy Efficiency (GEC) in the capital Skopje will taics, solar thermal energy and biomass. “Demand for make a contribution to achieving this goal. The school the PV courses is the highest”, reports van Dyck. “For was established with the help of the DGS, the Ger solar thermal energy, it is difficult to find enough par man Section of the International Solar Energy Socie ticipants.” The courses are offered to anyone who ty (ISES). The regional DGS association Berlin Bran wants to sell and install such devices. This target denburg, which is based in Berlin and maintains its audience includes specialists such as electricians, in own solar school there, offers interested parties from stallers of heating systems, roofers or architects as 30 Sun & Wind Energy 9/2011 The Business Promotion Agency of the State of Bavaria Strong Bavaria – Strong Locations www.invest-in-bavaria.com Still just thinking about alternative energies? We in Bavaria use them already. Benefi t from our expertise and get your business started. Confi dential and free of charge. Green business location Bavaria. IB_Sun-Wind-Energy-Anzeige_2011.indd 1 15.04.11 14:38 REVIEW SOLAR SCHOOLS well as commercial clerks or members of the adminis development cooperation. In coordination with trative or production staff in solar companies. Without Hartmann, Trajanovski submitted an application to any technical background, a qualification as a Solar GIZ for a publicprivate partnership (PPP) project. His Consultant can be obtained, and candidates who pass idea was to establish a school in Macedonia based on the examination can become a Technical Solar the DGS model and with support from the DGS. At the Consultant. Each of the courses lasts for 32 hours and end of 2008, the application was granted. ends with a final exam. They are held simultaneously The German Federal Ministry for Economic Coop at all the solar schools. The intensive fiveday training eration and Development provides financial support course for the qualification “DGS Photovoltaics for the project. The project partners are GIZ as the rep Specialist”, for example, costs € 1,065. According to resentative of the government, the DGS and the col Liliane van Dyck, about 3,600 individuals have attend lector manufacturer Phönix SonnenWärme AG from ed the DGS training courses since 1996. Berlin. Together, they set up the national training cen In 2004, the first training session was held tre for renewable energies and made the school part abroad. Uwe Hartmann, the Manager of the regional of the Integrated Business Faculty (IBF), which is the DGS association Berlin Brandenburg, travelled with parent organization. Georgi Trajanovski works as an colleagues to Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. “Our advisor for energy efficiency at the solar school in courses are designed as ‘train the trainer’ courses”, Skopje. reports van Dyck. The DGS qualifies solar specialists Ten computer workstations with internet access locally, who will subsequently pass on their knowl were funded through the PPP project. The equipment edge to others. also includes four solar collectors with accessories, a 300 litre heat storage tank, measurement instruments Model school in Skopje and simulation software. All the courses are held in the Macedonian language. For this purpose, the DGS In 2007, preparations were started for the project in lecture notes were translated into the national lan Skopje, Macedonia. Georgi Trajanovski had the idea guage. for a school for renewable energies (“GEC German Solar thermal energy and photovoltaics are equal Energy Centre – Renewable Energy and Energy Effi ly attractive in Macedonia, says Trajanovski, pointing ciency”) in Skopje. Via German Technical Cooperation to the solar irradiation of about 1,400 kWh/(m2a). “The (GTZ – today called German International Cooperation greatest problem is posed by the lack of legislation, or GIZ), he had made contact with Uwe Hartmann of the rather the lack of legal certainty for investors”, he says DGS in Berlin in 2004. They met in person when regretfully. In addition, there is little technical knowl Trajanovski attended a training session for energy edge in the country, but this in turn is an advantage for consultants at the Berlin Chamber of Architects. Since the education institution, Trajanovski says. “Therefore, 2007, Trajanovski has been active as a technical spe the school has excellent prospects in Macedonia and cialist in Macedonia. This work was arranged by the throughout the region”, he says confidently. Most par Centre for International Migration and Development ticipants come from technical administration depart (CIM), the human resources provider for German ments and from specialist companies. In the solar school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian personnel are trained for the installation and maintenance of off-grid PV systems. 32 Sun & Wind Energy 9/2011 REVIEW SOLAR SCHOOLS “Four socalled starter courses have been held so come from university institutions, or very concrete ob far”, reports Georgi Trajanovski. “42 people were jectives give rise to the foundation of a solar school. trained; ten of them were certified as technical con This was the case in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethio sultants after passing the examination.” The German pia. Here, the solar school originates from a project of specialists trained the future trainers in the fields of German International Cooperation (GIZ). The project is gridcoupled photovoltaics, offgrid installations, named “AMESE, Access to Modern Energy Services solar thermal installations and energy efficiency in Ethiopia”. In the context of the project, the GIZ set up structural engineering. In the energy efficiency course, 100 healthcare centres throughout the country. Since the skills that the instructors demonstrated to the par they need electricity for the medical care they provide, ticipants – among them several representatives from but are not connected to a public grid, they were municipalities in Skopje and its vicinity – included the equipped with offgrid PV systems. The DGS designed use of a thermal imager for buildings. The camera is the systems; the GIZ purchased the components and now part of the school’s equipment. The DGS hopes had them installed. that the solar school project in Skopje will provide an The solar school is based at the children’s home example for similar institutions in Macedonia and the and education centre Selam on the outskirts of Addis neighbouring countries such as Bulgaria, Albania and Ababa. Here, the association “Selam Charity Switzer Serbia. land” accommodates orphans and educates them. In many cases, solar schools are affiliated to an in The DGS could use the infrastructure. In August 2009 stitution that is run entirely or partly by the state. The the solar school was opened. It consists of a class coordinator attaches importance to pointing out that room with ten computers, a training system from the the courses are productneutral. “Companies may be German company IKS Photovoltaik and two small off partners, but we do not advertise any products. We grid PV systems for practical training. The instruction want to impart the knowledge in a neutral way”, says slides and lecture notes were created on the basis of Liliane van Dyck. Companies can sponsor, for exam the DGS photovoltaics guide. Once again, Uwe ple, system hardware for the lessons, because a solar Hartmann of the DGS in Berlin came to the country for school can only be established if certain conditions the initial course. The topics he lectured about includ are fulfilled. For the photovoltaics lessons, various ed offgrid PV systems. “We qualified about a dozen module types have to be available and there must be people associated with the GIZ as trainers “, recalls a tiled mounting roof, so that the participants can Hartmann. practise mounting collectors and modules. Interna In the solar school, technicians are trained in the tional planning software should be available as well.