ECO-EFFICIENCY COURSE for Vocational Education and Training Dr. Peter Glavič, Emerit. Prof. and Marija Lesjak University of Maribor Department of Chemical Engineering

Motivation and Need for the Project • Lisbon Strategy • EU Action plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production (climate change, sustainability related goals and products) • EU and National Strategies for Sustainable Development • European energy related commitments (COM(2008) 30 final) • Lack of in-depth-competences targeting different levels of training and education in lifelong learning • Competence needs of the labour market: – Eco-efficiency, design for sustainability, sustainable consumption, green purchasing, and social responsibility 2

LdV Project Results and Outcomes • May 2012: • Concept of an European Training Course on Ecoefficiency: • Training concept, contents, and programme

• July 2012: – Concept of area-specific training courses in relevant topics in the field of sustainable innovation: – Training concept, contents, and programme Workshop report and Final report 3

Sectors/Areas of Major Concern Context of sustainable development and innovation, in line with the focus of EU sustainability and environmental policy: • • • •

Building and construction Food Mobility, and/or Energy related products

Target groups: technical staff from companies and municipalities • to strengthen and update their knowledge and skills in these very dynamic and demanding areas 4

What is VET? Vocational Education and Training (VET): • Traditionally non-academic, • Prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, • Totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation. • It is sometimes referred to as technical education as the trainee directly develops expertise in a particular group of techniques or technology. • Upper secondary (24 years) and post-secondary education (Life Long Learning, + 2 years) 5

Definitions of Eco-Efficiency (1) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): • Efficiency with which ecological resources are used to meet human needs; • Efficiency = output : input • Ratio of an output (value of products/services by a firm, sector, or economy as a whole), divided by the input (sum of environmental pressures by the firm, sector, or economy) 6

Definitions of Eco-Efficiency (2) European Environmental Agency (EEA): • Concept and strategy enabling sufficient delinking of the ‘use of nature’ from economic activity; • needed to meet human needs (wellfare) to allow it to remain within carrying capacities; • and to permit equitable access and use of the environment by current and future generations – more welfare from less nature

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Eco-Efficiency or Resource Efficiency? • Eco-efficiency (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, WBCSD): – The delivery of competitively priced goods and services that satisfy human needs and bring quality of life, while progressively reducing ecological impacts and resource intensity throughout the life-cycle, to a level at least in line with the Earth’s estimated carrying capacity

• Resource-efficiency: – Optimising the environmental and financial benefits from using a material or product that requires the least energy and materials over its life cycle 8

Eco-Efficiency Objectives (WBCSD) 1. Reduce the consuption of resources: • •

The material and energy consumption should be reduced through enhancing recyclability. Producing products with higher quality and longer life times may also lead to improvements within the area.

2. Reduce the impact on the nature: • •

Using renewable resources which are sustainably managed Minimizing emissions, waste disposal and toxic substances

3. Provide customers with higher quality products and services. The customer benefit can be improved by: – –

user additional services (e.g. functionality or/and increased life time) without interfering with the two former objectives. 9

Identifying Key Elements of Eco-Efficiency The WBCSD has defined four key elements of ecoefficiency: • Re-engineer processes (to reduce the consumption of

resources, reduce pollution and avoid risks, while at the same time saving costs) • Revalorize by-products (zero-waste or 100 % product targets-waste from their processes can have value for another company) • Redesign products (products designed to ecological design rules) • Rethink markets (innovative companies find new ways of meeting customer needs) 10

Resource Efficiency Course Idea • Vertical structure: – From the 2-years course to the postsecondary one – the same contents (chapters) – Different levels and times (ECTS) devoted to them

• Horizontal structure: – The school/teacher decides which chapters and what breadth to take, e.g. for electricians, chemists, nurses

• Practical and home work: – Laboratory, problem solving, field work, quizes

• Textbook(s), videos, guide(s), and/or manual(s), Ppts 11

Introduction to the Course Challenges: climate change, extinction of fossil fuels, resource scarcity, biodiversity (species extinction), elimination of toxic substances, etc. Triple bottom line – environmental, economic, social: • Environmental issues: – Sustainable development: definition – Sustainable production: recycling, heat integration, process optimisation

• Economic issues: – Green Economy Initiative, Investing in the transition, Green Public Procurement, etc.

• Social issues: – Sustainable consumption: recycle, reuse, repair, consumer behaviour, better information on the environmental footprints of products (labelling, declarations), etc. 12

Motivation • Human needs and externalities (life cycle costs) • Main GHGs contributing sectors: – 20 % transport – 18 % industry – 17 % households, etc.

• Regulations (laws and directives, national and EU) – European directives – ISO and CEN standards

• Roadmap to resource efficiency • Policy – how to make the things happen 13

History of Eco-Efficiency Concept • 1961 – Silent Spring • 1972 – Limits to Growth, UN Conference on Human Environment • 1975 – Pollution Prevention (Monsanto: PP Pays) • 1980s – Environmental movement (Bhopal accident) • 1987 – The Brundland Report: Our Common Future • 1989 – Cleaner Production • 1990s – Setting eco-efficiency targets • 1992 – UN Conference on the Human Environment, Rio • 1998 – Factor Four, The Factor 10 Club • 2002 – World Summit Johannesburg • 20042010 – 3 Internat. Conferences on Eco-Efficiency 14

Energy: Renewables and Efficiency • Renewable energy sources, RES: – hydro, solar, wind, geothermal, thermo-solar, photovoltaics, biomass (wood, lignocellulosis, and waste), etc.

• Energy efficiency, EE: – – – – – –

Green buildings, innovation in lighting Heat and power (co-/poly-generation ), heat pumps Waste-to-energy (thermal treatment, incineration) Green technology, Process intensification Heat integration (Pinch Analysis) Mobility (public transportation, walking, cycling) 15

Energy: Modern Approach • • • • •

Low-carbon technologies/society Passive and active (energy producing) buildings Product groups (lighting, air conditioning, etc.) System functions (overall optimization) Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) – EU Bureau in Sevilla • Best Available Techniques (BAT) • Strategies on transportation and mobilities 16

Materials Efficiency • Water minimisation and purification • Raw material recycle, recover, reuse, repair, ... • By-product utilisation (industrial ecology, industrial symbiosis) • Higher quality products (quality assesment) • Longer lifetimes (extended product duration) • Minimising emissions, waste disposal, and toxic substances release • Rare metals and minerals • System function – Lego principle in buildings 17

Decoupling Resource Use, Economic Growth, and Environmental Impact

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Methods • • • • • • •

LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), LCM, LCI, LCIA, EEA* Pollution Prevention Cleaner Production Zero waste RECP TVET Toolkits Eco-Innovation Design for the Environment (Eco-Design), Design for Sustainability • Deming Cycle of continuous improvements • Footprints (carbon, nitrogen, water, energy, social, etc.) 12.5.2012

*LC

Inventory, LC Impact Assessment, EE Assessment

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Management • • • •

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR, ISO 26000) Environmental Management System (EMS, EMAS) Eco-industrial parks Voluntary approaches, e.g. Responsible Care by chemical industry • Ecological economics – Environmental Accounting (EA)

• Environmental Reporting (Global Reporting Initative, GRI) • Environmental law • Environmental policy 20

Management (ctd.) • • • • •

Public and investors’ involvement User engagement Sustainable consumption Triple helix (business, academia and society) TRIZ – Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TIPS): problem identification and solving • Operational management • Case studies 21

Implementing Eco-efficiency REDUCES: • Reduce material intensity • Energy intensity minimized • Dispersion of toxic substances is reduced • Undertake recycling • Capitalize on use of renewable sources • Extend product durability • Service intensity to be increased 22

Organisations • • • • • • • • • •

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC UN Environment Programme (UNEP) UNIDO: Cleaner Production Centers (CPCs)  RECP World Business Council for Sustainable Development Environmental Agencies: EEA, US EPA, national, ... International Orgn. for Standardisation (ISO 14000, ...) Sustainable and Socially Responsible Universities UN University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) PREPARE network, and ERSCP (society) Resource Efficient CP (RECP) network, etc. 23

Organizations (ctd.) • Professional organizations – National – European – Global

• • • •

Retail organizations NGOs, consumer organizations, trade unions Forums, Round tables, Panels Chambers of industry and commerce 24

Anex and Literature Sources • Anex: – Definitios and – Glossary

• Practical and Home Work, Quizes • Textbooks, Guides, Manuals, Ppts, Videos • Literature: – Proceedings of the three Eco-efficiency conferences and – Proceedings of the ERSCPs – past/last 25

Practical and homework • Carbon footprint calculation • Energy use and emissions using different ways of transportation (airplane, car, railway, bike) • Energy consumption and emissions in electric appliancies (energy classes, life cycle analysis) • Energy and water efficiencies in buildings • Food and biofuels (bio-diesel, -gas, -ethanol) • Calculation of energy efficiencies • Resource efficiency factor 26

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TEXTBOOK(S), GUIDES(S), AND MANUALS  Energy Audits: A Workbook for Energy Management in Buildings - to be simplified on VET level  Author: Prof Tarik T Al-Shemmeri, Staffordshire University, UK – to be simplified on VET level

 Energy Efficiency Manual - general guide  Author: Donald R. Wulfinghoff, Wheaton, Maryland, USA

 Handbook of Water Use and Conservation: Homes, Landscapes, Industries, Businesses, Farms  Author: Amy Vickers, Massachusetts, USA

 Renewable Energy, Fourth Edition: Physics, Engineering, Environmental Impacts, Economics & Planning  Author: Professor Dr. Bent Sorensen, Roskilde University, Denmark

 Sources and Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Environmental Science, Engineering and Tehnology)  Edited by Steffen D. Saldana, New York, USA

VET Courses in Slovenia • Professional and technicians education – Mechanical tehnician: Energy efficiency

• Postsecondary education – Electrician: Energy efficiency and renewables

• University education 1) 2) 3) 5)

Integrated environmental protection Rational use of energy Materials for SD, 4) Fuels for SD Material and waste recovery, etc. 28

Future Work at TRUST-IN Meetings: Tomorrow 1. Collect and compare eco-efficiency related VET courses in partner’s own country, and in one or two other countries, e.g. USA, Australia 2. Prepare Eco-efficieny course contents: i. Chapters ii. Practical and home work i.

Laboratory, problem solving, field work, quizes

iii. Textbook(s), guide(s), and/or manual(s), Ppts 29

Work Plan for May and June • Workshop in Education, ERSCP May 4, Bregenz – TRUST IN introductory presentation (PG) – Sector specific presentations (Stig, Johanees, Kim, Arnold?) – Template (Peter, Stig, Pavel), 6. 2. 2012

• Dissemination Action Plan, Copenhagen, June 78: – Presentation at nationalprofessional meetings – Sending to vocational schools, Chambers of industry and commerce, Ministries for education 30

Thank you for your attention [email protected]

Professional and Technical Education Program: Mechanical technician Course name: Energy efficiency (obligatory, 140 h (hours))

 Subject-specific competences, obtained by learning about:  Energy conversion and its use in energy systems  Global impact of energy on economic, and political situation in modern society  Basic energy processes  Basic operation of energy facilities  Energy processes and systems to recognize and describe the views, schemes and diagrams  Methods and devices for measuring energy quantities  Use of professional literature 32

Post-secondary, Erroneously Called Short Tertiary Education Program: Electrician Course name: Energy efficiency and renewables (elective, 5 ECTS)

 Subject – specific competences Students shall obtain the following generic skills: • Efficient use of energy, • Simpler implementation of emission calculations, • Provide reliable and environmentally friendly supply of electricity, • Peer evaluation of potential savings and understanding of technology solutions for energy efficiency, • Expert assistance in the integration of qualified producers of electricity from renewable energy sources in the electricity system, • Participation in the introduction of combined heat and power with

high efficiency. 33

Seven Eco-Efficiency Related Courses at the University of Maribor  Department of Mechanical Engineering (Program: Environmental Engineering) Course name: 1. Integrated environmental protection (4 ECTS) Course objectives: The goals are to acquaint students with aims of: • Integrated environmentaprotection, • Environmentally more suitable recycling technologies, • Ensure rational use of raw materials with of materials and energy, and • Minimize waste material Course name: 2. Rational use of energy (4 ECTS) Course objectives: Students learn the difference between energy supply, energy savings and alternative energy sources, their forms and ways of rational use 34

Course name: 3. Ecological engineering (6 ECTS) Course objectives: • Overview of sources and types of pollutants • The impact of pollutants on the environment and their proliferation • Technology, environmental engineering: processing of waste water (basic and advanced techniques), flue gas and reduce air emissions from industrial sources • Waste management, noise abatement, environmental impact assessment Course name: 4. Materials for sustainable development (6 ECTS) Course objectives: • Demonstrate the importantance of renewable processes, technologies and materials (materials for fuel cells, materials for hydrogen, ...) • Storage, photovoltaics • Provide theoretical background in the field of renewable materials and technologies • Acquaint materials evaluation procedures using different analytical methods 35

Course name: 5. Fuels for sustainable development (6 ECTS) Course objectives:

• focus on the solution of environmental pollution problems using various fuels, • deepen knowledge about alternative drivesystems and alternative fuels, • stimulate creative and innovativestudents to work in the field. Course name: 6. Ecological arhitectural construction (6 ECTS) Course objectives:

The main target is to gain the ability of understanding the principles of ecologically oriented building from the architectural, structural and technological point of view; to gain and develop appropriate special knowledge on the complexity of planning and design of objects. Course name: 7. Material and energy waste recovery (6 ECTS) Course objectives:

To recognize the material and energy waste recovery possibilities in context of sustainable development.

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