International approach to smart energy solutions Erasmus Project

Project Title

International approach to smart energy solutions

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Energy and resources; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The European Green Deal is a response to the climate challenges, our world is facing. It is a new growth strategy that aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use. The clean energy transition should involve and benefit consumers. Renewable energy sources will have an essential role. The smart integration of renewables, energy efficiency and other sustainable solutions across sectors will help to achieve decarbonisation at the lowest possible cost. The rapid decrease in the cost of renewables, combined with improved design of support policies, has already reduced the impact on households’ energy bills of renewables deployment. The European Commission will present by mid-2020 measures to help achieve smart integration. To meet the EU’s energy and climate targets for 2030, EU Member States need to establish a 10-year integrated national energy and climate plan (NECP) for the period from 2021 to 2030 The national plan goals are to increase energy efficiency, use of renewable energy and greenhouse gas, reduction of emissions,…. To reach the goal it is necessary to stimulate research and innovation in a national context. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can play a key part in measuring and increasing energy efficiency.

During previous Erasmus+ projects, the partnership of Belgian and Slovakian secondary schools shared important knowledge and practices about Internet of Things (IoT) technology in “smart houses” and “smart products for healthy ageing”. The partnership is convinced that this experience can be further developed and applied in “energy” applications, realising the above defined project goals. “Energy management” is the new focus to strengthen the existing international strategic partnership, sharing expertise, exchange of good practices and transnational cooperation for the implementation of new technologies.

This project proposal aims at realising following objectives:
Secondary education teachers and students will:
1. better understand energy flows in an actual domestic situation with solar panels, electric car and two electric bicycles;
2. increase awareness about the relation between energy and climate change and the impact of reducing energy consumption, in relation to different national policies (Belgium and Slovakia);
3. improve their competences (insight, knowledge and practice) about engineering, Internet of Things (IoT), ICT, artificial intelligence, mathematics (STEAM) related to energy solutions;
4. improve intercultural competences by working in co-creation with other nationalities realising awareness that these global challenges can only be solved in cooperation across borders.

In this 2 year project, an integrated smart energy lab setup will be gradually developed in co-creation between the partner schools. Students will measure and analyse energy flows in current domestic applications, set up experiments for future concepts with renewables and additional electric consuming devices such as electric car and e-bikes. Finally they will add smart devices and IoT-technology to better control and manage the energy flows, in this way increasing energy efficiency and lowering the consumption. Through 5 learning/teaching/training mobilities of 28 students and 10 teachers within the partnership schools, exchange of best practices and understanding of intercultural differences in energy management will be realised.

This project also contributes to make STEM programmes in secondary education more attractive to girls.
During the project, each partner organises local dissemination events for primary and secondary schools and industrial partners to promote STEM education. At the end of the project, a broader dissemination event will take place in the coordinating school. On-line educational material will be made and dissiminated to a broader network of stakeholders.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 41658 Eur

Project Coordinator

Vrij Technisch Instituut Tielt & Country: BE

Project Partners

• Stredna odborna skola polytechnicka, Ul. SNP 2 Zlate Moravce