Here you can find conclusions from all the partner countries regarding the performed activities for young people in the field of nZEB.

Bulgaria – EnEffect

Relating energy efficiency to innovative concepts as smart readiness, zero-energy/emissions concepts, and VR technologies, is attractive for the students and helps guiding them to additional information and certification courses. As a conclusion, it can be stated that relation of the topic of energy efficiency with the innovative products and components offered by the suppliers and especially with digital technologies is very useful for improving the reputation of the profession and preserving the interest of young people to it. This is especially valid if the visits are combined with short training courses on site and applied in/referred to within the standard curricula of the professional high schools.

Croatia – REA North

During the awareness raising campaign on nZEB in Croatia, the same nZEB questionnaire was given to high-school students twice, first time at the beginning of the first workshop (“Why nZEB?”) in order to determine the initial level of students’ knowledge/awareness on nZEB, and the second time within the final event in order to measure awareness level increase after all activities have been performed.

It was noticed that students generally know definitions and legislation well, but it is very difficult for them to connect what they have learned with real-life examples i.e. to apply what is learned in real life.

A significant awareness increase was achieved in the recognition of forms of energy and renewable energy sources. They realized that the construction of the building is only one part of the lifetime costs of the building, and much better results were achieved considering the question related to priority measures for the energy renovation of existing buildings, where we see the increase of 15 % in favor of the correct answer comparing to the initial questionnaire. One of the best results was achieved within the question “What is the Blower Door test used for?”, where the level of knowledge increased from 47.5 % of correct answers to 87.5 % of correct answers.

Poland-RIC Pro-Akademia

Participation in the workshop was a first time when participating students could learn about the nZEB standard and related market opportunities for young specialist from their field, as stated by participants. Before the workshop, they had limited knowledge about the topics related to energy efficiency in budlings and nZEB, as evidenced in a quiz results (Figure 1). None of the students gave five correct answers, most of them knew answer to 2-3 questions. During the event, participants were presented background information about energy efficiency of buildings in the EU and in Poland, nZEB standard requirements, and technologies enabling nZEB. This was followed by a series of discussion on how their competences fit to the market and what opportunities they have in the rising nZEB market. In the last session, they could use the gained knowledge and develop a proposal of a modernization of an existing old building to the nZEB standard. Results of the group work was promising – students developed two comprehensive plans covering all crucial aspects of a building modernization, combining solutions for a building envelope, HVAC installations, RES, and even gardening works to support preventing heat losses.

Romania – Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, Cluster Pro-Nzeb, INCD URBAN-INCERC

The organized awareness campaign about Nearly Zero Energy Buildings for new generations helped university and high school students to better understand the nZEB concept and to change their perspective on energy efficiency and sustainable living. The educational and awareness raising events were tailored based on gamification, visual information and real scale visit of sustainable building installations and houses. The objective of these events was to boost the energy-related skills among students and to create a desire for a career in construction. After the activities, the students acquired the knowledge necessary to understand the notion of energy and sobriety in the context of climate change, which could thus link sustainable construction jobs with the fight for climate change. Activities based on VR, thermal cameras, blowing door test and presentation of real size building structures made it possible to present in a tangible way the field of construction.

Portugal-LNEG

During the Portuguese nZEB awareness campaign, all 4 types of proposed activities were developed and carried out with educational workshops, experience sharing, career counselling and gamification based knowledge. Proposals were developed and carried out with high school students, vocational trainees and university students, in order to fill the gaps that were evaluated in the initial national survey (T.3.1.). Two nZEB questionnaires and a board game with 20 questions related to nZEB were developed, both presented and applied during dissemination and awareness events. The first questionnaire “Why NZEB?” was prepared for high school students and the second “How can we act?”, was appropriate for university students.

Through prior knowledge of the curricula and contacts with teachers, it was admitted that the initial level of knowledge of high school and university students on the nZEB theme was very low, which is why it was decided to prefer to carry out the evaluation at the end outreach events.

After the presentation on the concepts and principles of nZEB carried out in the events and the exploration of the examples and practical applications in the Solar Building XXI, during the study visits, it was verified that the level of knowledge increased significantly and even several questions arose about aspects social, technical and economic. Underlying these results is certainly the approach followed that is adjusted differently to high school students and university students. The focus was more on exploring practical and sensory issues contextualized with learning from real-life examples and not so much on theoretical and legal issues.

The fact that high-school students from different profiles – humanities and vocational – visited and experienced the functionalities of an nZEB building such the Solar Building XXI, greatly contributed and facilitated the interpretation and answers to the questionnaires. In general, almost all passive and active solutions were identified, an increased awareness in the recognition of renewable forms of energy and energy sources and easiest identification of the main profiles of “blue collar” installers, to execute, regulate and maintain them.

It was considered and discussed with high-school students the comparison of comfort parameters on their school buildings and classrooms. The perspective was centered on the explanation and experience of the nZEB concept and what future priority interventions should be applied in their school buildings, with a view to their renovation and energy efficiency.