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Energy education
Information kit
2
The schoolchildren of today will be the workers, teachers,
engineers, architects, entrepreneurs and businesspeople of
tomorrow. The decisions that they make during their lives
and work will contribute to how society produces and uses
energy. The attitudes and behaviour that they adopt now
will have big efects in the future.
Education can help future generations understand
climate change and how their individual actions and
lifestyles can help meet the challenges ahead. Education
is key to developing a sense of individual responsibility
in environmental problems. Education can lead to more
rational and sustainable modes of energy use.
Although teaching youngsters is paramount, energy
education is not just restricted to schools. Wider initiatives
are vital to train older generations and foster change across
the whole of society.
The European Union is taking action to boost energy education
in a number of areas:
The action plan on energy e ciency published in October
2006 stresses the Importance of education.
The programme Intelligent Energy Europe II (2007-2013)
the EUs main funding instrument for e ciency and
renewable energy initiatives supports many education
projects. For example, the project FEEDU (Persuasive Force
of Children through Education) took place recently in
9 European countries, with the involvement of 13 regional
energy agencies. It aimed to promote consciousness of
renewable energies, energy e ciency and energy and
mobility issues in primary schools. Teachers, who were
given training in energy education, set up learning plans
in schools in order to change pupils and parents attitudes
to energy use. (www.feedu.org)
The ManagEnergy initiative has placed a special emphasis
on energy education and this will be increasing in the
coming years. The ManagEnergy websites KidsCorner,
available in 23 languages, includes activities, games and
resources for children of all ages. For teachers there is
access to lesson plans, guidebooks, animations, videos
and photos.
The ManagEnergy network also trains professionals
in energy education and publicises the activities of
local energy agencies. There is a streaming service for
conferences and events taking place around Europe to
spread the exchange of ideas more widely.
The EU has been supporting education through its
Socrates, Erasmus Mundus and Leonardo da Vinci initiatives
for many years and these programmes continue from
2007 in a new over-arching programme. They promote
lifelong learning by funding projects at all stages of
education, from primary schools to vocational training. In
addition, the Comenius programme encourages schools
to collaborate across borders.
For more information on EU support for energy education,
see: http://www.managenergy.net/education.html
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What is the EU doing?

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The national education plans of Member States should include
energy security and climate change in school curricula.
Teaching in schools should create awareness of environmental
issues among pupils and encourage them to take action to
help ght climate change.
Children should be educated to make more responsible use of
energy, both at school and at home. There is a high potential for
energy saving if future generations are adequately educated
regarding energy and get into good habits early.
Anyone who has been to a supermarket with young children
will know that their inuence on adults decisions can be very
great. If children are taught at school how they can live greener,
they can take the role of educators at home and persuade
their parents to change too.
Teachers are the main inuence on pupils education, but
class eorts on energy e ciency should involve local experts
in running fun, informative and practical classes on energy-
saving issues. This is where local and regional energy agencies
around Europe play a vital role, using their technical expertise
in collaborative projects in both primary and secondary
schools.
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Tomorrows energy users
The Force for Energy by Children project helped around
5,000 pupils from 100 schools in seven European countries
to create environmental awareness-raising projects in
their schools and wider communities. The objective was
to increase knowledge of the ways people use energy
and bring changes in peoples practices.
A common project framework was established and a
newsletter and website were set up to spread information.
Studies were carried out into how energy was used in each
of the communities involved and educational materials
were then prepared by local energy agencies. Pupils
analysed issues and searched for their own solutions. At
the end of the project, each school held an exhibition to
show the results of their work.
Thanks to the project, many pupils carried out energy
audits in their own homes and schools encouraged the
involvement of parental committees.
http://www.curbain.be/
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Good practice
Child Power: the FEE-project (2001-2003)
Teachers need specic training if they are to be able
to eectively pass on the energy-e ciency message.
They need methodologies that are appropriate to their
students and the right educational tools for the job.
Working together with outside experts in local energy
agencies and other organisations is key to developing
suitable programmes and materials.
When schools take action to change their energy-
management strategies, they should involve their
teaching sta. Any eorts to save energy can have a
complimentary teaching plan that would involve the
students in real-life practical examples.
Energy education can be greatly enhanced by increasing
the exchange of ideas and experiences between schools,
training centres and countries. One example of an inter-
school activity would be a competition to reward the
most energy-e cient school in a given area.
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Schools and teachers
A scheme in Modena in Italy gives schools the chance to gain
a share of savings made from cutting back on electricity and
gas consumption. Schools taking part in the scheme contract
out their energy-management strategies and gain incentives,
ranging from money for new equipment to technical support.
Direct investments in technologies such as more ef cient
boilers, solar heating, and photovoltaic have already taken
place. Thanks to the project, energy produced from renewable
sources should add up to around 44,000 kWh of electricity and
60,000 m3 of methane annually equivalent to 1.4% of the
local administrations total energy consumption.
Seven schools have signed voluntary agreements to improve
their energy ef ciency, and in the frst year of the project (2001)
participating schools received between 200 and 10,000. The
expected environmental benefts are the avoidance of around
2,200 tonnes of CO
2
emissions per year.
http://www.aess-modena.it/
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Good practice
Incentives to save power
energy
CO
2
photovoltaics
solar heating
Disclaimer and copyright notice for ManagEnergy information kit
This information kit has been compiled on behalf of the European Commission. The European Commission does not guarantee the accuracy
of the data or information provided, nor does it accept responsibility for any use made thereof.
European Communities, 2006
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
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What is ManagEnergy?
ManagEnergy is an initiative of the European Commission Directorate-General for Energy and Transport. It aims to support
local and regional actions on energy ef ciency and renewable energies through training workshops and on-line events.
In addition, information is provided on case studies, good practice, European legislation and programmes.
ManagEnergy is also a European network of local and regional energy agencies (LEAs). These agencies promote the
introduction of good energy management practices, support sustainability, provide information and guidance, and ofer
other services depending on local needs.
www.managenergy.net
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Life long learning and energy training
Learning is not restricted to the traditional school classroom
it should be an on-going process through all stages of life.
This is especially important for energy, as it is often taken for
granted and people tend to stick to their established habits.
There are a number of areas to consider in energy education.
Getting energy managers in businesses and public
authorities on board is an important frst step if attitudes
within organisations towards energy are to change. Energy-
ef ciency issues should be an integral part of vocational
training.
Local energy agencies can help eforts by developing
learning materials such as energy training toolkits for
industry and e-learning modules.
It is also important to regularly train future installers and
technicians who work with energy-consuming products
so they are aware of the latest developments in energy-
ef cient technology.
Public authorities could ofer courses to the public that
promote the sustainable consumption of energy. Last but
not least, collaboration between education and training
centres (e.g. schools, colleges, lifelong learning and
universities) and energy agencies is necessary in order to
foster more energy education.