Training for future professionals on the Assembly, Start-up, Management and Maintenance of electrical Microgrids Erasmus Project

Project Title

Training for future professionals on the Assembly, Start-up, Management and Maintenance of electrical Microgrids

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 : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Energy and resources; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Cooperation between educational institutions and business

Project Summary

A revolution in energy generation is happening. The days when millions of people’s electricity needs were met by a handful of large coal, nuclear and gas-fired power stations are waning.

A microgrid refers to a system of electrical generation sources, like solar and wind, coupled with energy storage that can provide energy to buildings, campuses, and telecommunication systems. Microgrids can be connected to the existing electric grid or can function independently in case of emergencies. The large scale deployment of microgrids and energy storage will require a new approach to how electricity is generated and managed and will include the increased use of batteries and other forms of energy storage. The intelligent microgrid is based on big data and digitalization technology, and it provides the user to send/sell energy to the electrical grid. This empowers the user, becoming this in an active element of the electrical process.

Regarding the significance the microgrids are taking, it is important to train the future workers of this technology. Nowadays there is not a big offer of training programs for the future employees; on the one hand, because this is a relatively young technology, and on the other hand, because the trainers themselves are not completely prepared due to a lack of knowledge.

Taking all this into account, the aim of this project is to create new training contents related with microgrids, this new energy spectra based on renewable energies on a global basis. This will generate new systems of generation, distribution and consumption of energy, changing the electrical installations we have nowadays into new ones. This electrical-revolution will require at least three main professional profiles related to three main fields: design, management and maintenance. The different operations that would need to be carried out in the microgrids will request not just a technician as we have nowadays, but the future workers will need to have the knowledge of different fields such as telecommunications, electronics, electricity, informatics, …)

The MICRO GRIDS project aims to address higher education trainers/teachers and students, and in a second level, companies related to renewable energies and new technologies. The partners of this project have already had contact with different companies that have shown interest in the training of future workers in this field.

In order to achieve these goals, 4 partners from three different European countries (Spain, UK and Netherland) joined forces to create an effective way of developing training material to help trainees acquire knowledge and skills on the microgrids technologies and help the teachers transmit their knowledge by using different resources and activities/challenges developed by the consortium. The partners represent 4 different Higher Education institutions starting to work in the world of microgrids and interested on developing training material to answer to the needs of the companies surrounding them and to improve the employability level of their students.

The objectives of the project are, therefore:

– To provide Higher Education trainees and teachers with knowledge and resources on microgrids demanded by companies
– Develop a definition of a curriculum for future workers in the field of Micro-Grids in order to give a better answer to the current demands of companies
– The creation of a Training Course for future workers in the field of Micro-Grids
– The Development of the MICRO GRIDS Trainers’ Handbook in order to offer resources to the teachers when training their students in the microgrids technology
– Enhance the connection between Higher Education centers and companies, enhancing the link between education-business and to focus the training Higher Education centers provide on the needs of the companies
– Facilitate the transparency among the different Higher Education systems in the European Union by the joint design of a training course on transversal competences for the future workers

The methodology that will be used during the implementation of MICRO GRIDS is the continuous cooperation with companies and experts on the field. Companies will be involved in the project to give us a first-hand view of the skills they are looking for in their future employees, being this essential for the development of a training course valid for the students to become the perfect candidates in a close future.

Expected results and long term benefits:

– The acquisition of new technological knowledge and competences by Higher Education students and teachers
– The improvement of the employability level of the trainees
– Better alignment between Higher Education provision and the needs of companies
– The definition of new ways of cooperation between Higher Education centres and companies by providing added value services beyond traditional training.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 192260 Eur

Project Coordinator

Centro de Formación Somorrostro & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Deltion College
• CIFP USURBIL LHII
• SOUTH WEST COLLEGE