Lithuanian National Solar Programme
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4. Education and Training

      Education of society must become the main measure to alternate traditional view on power engineering and to build up positive standpoint on the renewable energy utilisation. Apart from traditional studying and learning groups of society such as students and pupils in educational process must be involved another groups of society having direct influence to successful utilisation of renewable energy - first of all having the decision right administrators and law makers, specialists in power engineering, potential users and owners of renewable energy power stations.
     In order to achieve the best efficiency in the field of education it is necessary to co-ordinate and adjust actions in the projects of education, teaching, information and demonstration of renewable energy power objects. Therefore in the system of education, which is to be developed, the specialised educational centres of renewable energy utilisation must be established at scientific research and teaching institutions. In these centres, which would be as divisions of communicative-informative system, could be concentrated scientific and educational resources and objects of demonstration in the renewable energy field. Such centres would form a nation - wide evenly spread network of education and information. If there are no high education establishments in the given region, centres of education could be managed by institutions of local administration.
     There are a few institutions in Lithuania, which has significant achievements in education of society, in training of highly qualified specialists and in consulting in the field of utilisation of renewable energy and which could be suitable to establish the mentioned above centres. They are:
Lithuanian University of Agriculture (LZUU). There are training courses at choice on utilisation of renewable energies item. Due to efforts of Lithuanian University of Agriculture and Lithuanian Institute of Agricultural Engineering (LZUII), the centre of utilisation of renewable energies is to be established at LEI, which could be a division of a mentioned nation - wide educational network.
Kaunas University of Technology (KTU). In the laboratory of the electrical converters for RE sources there was begun the establishing process of basis for scientific research and methodology of RE technologies. There is planed to establish the centre for studies, consultation, designing and demonstration of renewable energy technologies.
Siauliai University (SU). Activities on renewable energy utilisation item are concentrated in the "Research centre of power engineering and ecologically clean technologies". One of the main purposes of this centre is to arrange studies, research and propagation on renewable power engineering.
     For education, teaching and training in renewable energy utilisation field it is necessary to use experience and publishing possibilities of other institutions. Such institutions may be integrated into a nation - wide system of education and teaching and apart from other spheres of activities could carry out the educational functions. It could be the following institutions:
  • Lithuanian State Enterprise "Energetikos Agentūra"("EA"). They have experience in preparing seminars, in consulting on energy saving theme, have issued a series of popular booklets on education in renewable energy item.
  • "Consulting and demonstrating station of energy saving and renewable energy utilization" in Varena. This project is devoted to consulting and teaching in renewable energy utilization saving and field in Ladruva region (South Lithuania). A topical programme of education and consultations will be prepared by skilful educators, professors of university. It would be purposeful to use this programme for middle schools of region too.
     Utilisation of renewable energy is a long-term and accelerating process, therefore investments into education and science are perspective and has a long-term residual value. Analysis of situation in education about renewable energy utilization in Lithuania shows a necessity to extend greatly activities in this field involving a new scientific and educational establishments from one side and much more broad layers of society from another side. Especial emphasis must be put on teaching and education of such groups and individuals of society, from which in the main depends formation of the favourable opinion on renewable energy utilization item.
     At first a special teaching programs, teaching materials, courses of lectures, prepared in other states or UNESCO could be adapted for local needs of Lithuania. The Lithuanian branch of the Open Institute of UNESCO could become an appropriate establishment for co-operation with international institutions and for co-ordination of activities in spheres of teaching and education. This institution in co-operation with Lithuanian research and education establishments would choose and adapt teaching materials for local needs. The following programs and teaching materials arranged by efforts of the Open Institute could be adopted in Lithuanian education establishments:
  • programmes for engineers and technicians of renewable energy conversion technologies,
  • teaching materials for various kinds of renewable energy,
  • educational materials for wide layers of society.
Besides, the Lithuanian education and research institutions would have to carry out the following functions:
  • to participate in formation of network for teaching, education and demonstration in the field of renewable energy utilization;
  • to participate in co-operation North-South because of the integration of Lithuanian achievements in science into a world-wide information systems;
  • using the new technologies of information to create the possibilities for engineers and technicians to improve their qualifications and skills in various aspects of renewable energy utilization;
  • to encourage the integration of teaching programmes on renewable energy utilization item into a middle schools courses and to assist in preparing of necessary documentation and teaching materials for them.
     All necessary means for teaching and education (teaching materials, stands and equipment of demonstration, publishing possibilities) would be concentrated at the education centres of renewable energy utilization established by interested institutions. The whole of education centres of renewable energy utilization would form a system covering the majority of Lithuanian regions. Such interested institutions could be not only centres of science and education, but also municipalities (e.g. LADRUVA) and state's institutions to which functions of regulation are attached (e.g. "EA"). A separate centres would have to be specialised after the characteristic for them fields of educational activity. For example, the sphere of education of functionaries, economists and society should be co-ordinated by the State Enterprise "Energetikos Agentura" involving the mentioned above education centres of renewable energy utilization with their technical means in the field of new technologies of information. Using the LITNET and VIKT technical means of communication it would be possible to arrange courses of interactive teaching for office employees.

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