Attendees:
Host and Chariman: Christian Düntsch (Carl Zeiss Oberschule – Berlin)
Co host: Thoms Schäfer (Carl Zeiss Oberschule – Berlin)
Students: Kerstin Kothe (CZO Berlin)
Michelle Hubel (CZO Berlin)
Vera (CZO Berlin)
Susann (CZO Berlin)
William (CZO Berlin)
Max (CZO Berlin)
Wiebke (CZO Berlin)
Also attending: Frau Dorothea Visentin.
Frau Gundel Fischer
Frau Sabine Deutschmann.
Project teacher: Matthew Elliott (Furtherwick Park School – Canvey Island).
Project advisor: Norman Bambridge (Furtherwick Park School - Canvey Island).
Students: Sean Clow (Furtherwick Park School – Canvey Island) Aaron Acraman (Furtherwick Park School – Canvey Island).
Lewis Lacey (Furtherwick Park School – Canvey Island).
Project teacher: M. Teresa Ciaffaroni – Liceo Ginnasio Augusto Statale di Roma)
Project teacher: Carlo Panizzon – (Liceo Ginnasio Augusto Statale di Roma)
Students: Eleonora Alecci – (LGAS di Roma)
Fiorella Angerame – (LGAS di Roma)
Valentina Boresta – (LGAS di Roma)
Laura Lucantoni – (LGAS di Roma)
Irene Moroni – (LGAS di Roma)
Girogia Bova – (LGA di Roma)
Alessia Guarnera – (LGAS di Roma)
Flavia Torella – (LGAS di Roma)
Silva Valentini – (LGAS di Roma)
Eleonora Leopardi – (LGAS di Roma)
The conference was opened at 1400 hours on Tuesday 20 May 2008 by Hans Joachim Rhode (Head of Carl Zeiss Upper Oberschule) welcoming all delegates attending and hoping their research and time in Berlin would prove enjoyable.
Christina Düntsch outlined the programme for the Energie Rallye Projekt and its objectives and explained that tomorrow morning five groups will be given individual tasks for research and presentation.
Also, for this evening, they had arranged a tour by canal boat on the River Spee for everyone to get to know each other and the opportunity to see some of the old historic and modern buildings of central Berlin.
THE PROJECT.
The project objectives were to produce an energy action plan particularly aimed at the ‘footprint’ of the oberschule and delegates would have five areas of research.
Energy consumption.
Energy technology.
Energy supply.
Legislation.
The School ‘energy footprint’
WEDNESDAY 21 MAY 2008.
The conference commenced with the introduction by two project advisors who had been engaged to develop a research programme for five groups, each to undertake different planned tasks at various locations and with various businesses throughout the city. Each group had a designated CZO student guide for S-Bahn and U-Bahn travel and introductions.
All groups were tasked to return to CZO for 1330 hours for lunch and to undertake an initial analysis of their research.
Group One: Kirsten Kothe (CZO)
Sean Clow (FWP)
Eleonora Leopardi (LGAS)
Norman Bambridge (FWP)
The topic for research: Energie Verbauch
Energy Consumption
Consumo Energetico.
The questions for analysis: 1. The needs of people.
2. What energy is used for.
3. The consequences of energy consumption.
4. Why change is necessary.
The source of information gathering commenced with obtaining an overview of the objectives of Econsense.De which is a forum for the sustainable development of German Business.
This initial task was to establish the topic and speaker for that evening (21 May) via an Internet Café at Friedrichstrasse Station which upon completion would enable that knowledge to be an introduction to meeting the Berlin Energy Advisor at Kaiserdamm.
That subject was Klimafolgenforschungen (how sustainable development is possible for science, society and economy in climatic research and the consequences of change) delivered by Prof. Schellruben of Potsdam Institute.
The facts and figures we were required to analyse were related to Mtoe (Million tonnes of Oil Equivalent) energy, comparing Germany, Italy and England and the changes over the past fifteen years (to 2005).
This was followed by a meeting with Herr Bramigk at a Hotel in Kaiserdamm. He is a state energy efficiency advisor specialising in the residential sector and was able to give information on how energy is used, how much residual energy is wasted and how to educate ourselves, our cohorts and peers in energy reduction.
He was able to give handouts showing efficiency savings particularly on residual wastage (appliances that are left on, for example computers and associated equipment, videos, less than full fridges and freezers etc.) which alone could save around two hundred euros annually per household. Also, thermostat reduction, by one degree would save six percent of the annual cost of heating a home.
Group two: Christian Düntsch (CZO)
Matthew Elliott (FWP)
Aaron Acraman (FWP)
Lewis Lacey. (FWP)
The topic for research: Energy technology.
Technologie.
Tecnologia energetica
The questions for analysis: Wind Turbines.
Solar mirrors.
Solar panels.
Building design.
Other forms of technology including tidal and bio-mass.
The students presented an overview of their research to the audience which included discussion items for the school on the possibility of using solar panels as their new building design had flat roof space and also using wind turbines on the site to generate some of their own power needs.
Group three: Gorgia Bova (LGAS Roma)
Valentina Boresta (LGAS Roma)
The topic for research: School energy footprint.
Piano energetico per la scuola.
The questions for analysis: What is the new CZO building’s carbon footprint.
How can energy reduction be achieved.
The ‘footprint’ of the school now and in the future.
Group four:
The topic for research: Energy Justice (rights) and Law (Legislation).
Giustizia (diritti) e normative energetica (leggi).
The questions for analysis: Individual rights to use energy.
How nations must support technology and education in developing countries.
Developing the use of solar energy.
Education and eco friendly schools.
Group five: Teresa Ciaffaroni (LGAS Roma)
Dorothea Visentin (CZO)
Eleonora Alecci (LGAS Roma)
Fiorella Angerame (LGAS Roma)
Irene Moroni (LGAS Roma)
Michele Hubel. (CZO)
The topic for research: Energy future.
Futoro dell’energia.
The questions for analysis: National energy production.
Eco friendly and sustainable energy.
The balance between needs and production.
Emission friendly energy.
The source of information gathering started with an interview of a senior member of Eleven Solar GmbH, a business dealing with environmental, Bio and energy technology situated in Volmerstrasse.
The task was to establish national energy produced from alternative sources in general and solar in particular. The interview was held in the company meeting room and held in German with translation by Frau Dorothea Visentin.
The facts gathered mostly related to solar energy, comparing Germany, Italy and Spain and the expected changes in the next ten years or so to 2020.
We were informed currently just 1% of energy is from solar or renewable sources in Germany while the EU has set the level of energy produced from alternative sources at 20% by 2020. The representative felt confident this goal would be achieved since there is both financial reward and penalty and many EU countries, particularly southern European such as Italy and Spain are progressing well.
The students also requested to see a photovoltaic panel and he explained as to how it works adding that five such panels on a standard residential property would make it energy independent.
The second programmed interview was with an advisor from a firm specialising in the residential sector dealing with the building of low-energy homes and we were taken to view a neighbourhood containing a whole street of such properties. It was explained how energy is used, how much residual energy is wasted and how to educate ourselves in energy reduction.
We also received handouts showing the construction techniques and energy saving devices used.
WEDNESDAY EVENING.
Wednesday evening, all delegates were given time off for sightseeing with their own or combined groups and FWP teachers and students visited the Reichstag and new Parliament buildings, Brandenberg Tor (Gate) and Unter den Linden and onto the Sony Centre in Potsdamerplaz.
Italian students visited the historic Schloss (Castle) and area at Charlottenburg and the park and included Prof.Carlo Panizzon discussing the historical background of the city and the Henzollern family and how they were prominent in helping to unify Germany and create an empire.
Charlottenburg was built at the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth century in a style similar to Versailles.
THURSDAY 22 MAY 2008.
The conference advisors asked each group to prepare presentations, either by power point or by direct delivery (which was the method Group one chose) and for each group to also focus on one topic of how the school could develop energy efficiency.
Following the presentations, the groups with Teresa Ciaffaroni and Norman Bambridge had already formed the view that CZO develop the concept of and Energy Manager linked to financial management of the school, would be a factor in the future of energy efficiency.
This provoked discussion on the financial constraints both in Berlin and in Roma, however, in developing the idea concluded that:
1. If and Energy Manager was employed specifically for that task, it may prove an unsustainable financial burden to which the school could not afford, but
2. If a post was changed within the existing school (non-teaching) structure to have responsibility for energy management, this could be a consideration, particularly if this included financial reward for proven energy efficiency and financial savings.
Both Maria Ciaffaroni and Norman Bambridge and the students from their groups discussed and developed the potential for this role to include:
• The reduction in the amount of energy the building consumes
• How the building uses energy.
• Action planning on energy reduction.
• On-going targets and monitoring.
The benefits of improving energy efficiency:
• Lower energy costs.
• Reduced carbon emissions.
• Improved working and teaching environments.
• Better financial control.
• Legislative compliance.
• Corporate and social responsibility.
Having such a role within the school would enable –
Electrical:
• Obtaining a provider at competitive prices.
• Purchasing electrical management systems.
• Provision of data including budgeting forecasting, historical, annual current and future.
• Turbine provision within the school environment.
Water:
• Surveying school water provision and capability. (Where, what and if it is needed and ‘benchmarking’ areas).
• Water saving devices that could be installed, including Infra red and push taps, urinal controls and flow restrictors.
• Investigating water waste and leakages.
• Monitoring use.
• Rainwater harvesting.
POST LUNCH PRESENTATIONS.
Both LGAS Roma and FWP Canvey Island students had worked on projects and presentations from the December Roma Conference and presented their findings during the afternoon session.
A total of six presentations (five Italian and one English) were made overall and Furtherwick students thanked Nick Walker (Special projects Manager) of Veolia from Pitsea in Essex for his assistance in hosting a student visit enabling them to present a power point delivery to the conference on Waste Management and Energy Conversion.
All teachers were given a copy including the professional energy advisors who requested a copy. A copy of the FWP presentation will also be given to Mr. Walker at Veolia.
Also, the FWP presentation of the visit to Veolia at Pitsea is included on the LGAS di Roma blog (http://takeaction-improveyourlife.blogspot.com/).
Two of the Italian presentations included the very current situation in Naples on illegal waste dumping and management, presented by Laura Lucantoni and secondly, Fair Trade in Italy presented by Alessia Guarnera and Flavia Torella.
A SOCIAL EVENING.
Our hosts had arrange a social evening including dinner in Volkspark Weinberg near Nordbanhoff which proved to be the highlight of the conference through they manner in which all students interacted with each other and undoubted friendships formed.
FRIDAY MORNING 23 MAY 2008.
Furtherwick Park students and staff were invited to attend English classes at CZO which all enjoyed, hopefully including the CZO students.
Whilst not being a new idea, has potential to also make presentations on the conference achievements to other class groups within the school.
Both the Italian and English school groups visited Alexanderplaz in order to shop and show some of the differences between the former East and West Berlin and since the wall came down.
SUMMARY
In our opinion, this was a most successful conference with a structured organisation and a range of issues which enabled students to research, meet and discuss and make presentations of their finding to peer groups.
Other observations for conference enhancements in the future could include developing
pre-conference presentations based upon the research topics of the conference topics.
It was noted Furtherwick Park School are no longer funded under the Comenius project and future attendance requires self funding.
It was also mentioned that Sintermeerten College, Heerlen (Netherlands) were unable to send delegates to this conference.
Our grateful thanks to our hosts Christian and Thomas for all their hard work in making this a success.
Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni (LGAS di Roma) and Norman Bambridge (FWP Canvey Island)
May 2008.
