UNIDO

The course Sustainable Energy Solutions is organized jointly by the International Center for Promotion of Enterprises (ICPE) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The objective of this training course is to raise awareness about the key dimensions that need to be addressed to develop sustainable energy solutions for developing countries. The course provides insights into energy modelling, best practices in global energy policymaking, best available technologies and financing schemes. The training course furthermore explores how to best address these issues while considering the cross-cutting dimensions affecting society in the 21^st century, namely providing universal access to modern forms of energy, promoting clean energy technologies to enhance competitiveness of industry, enhancing energy security, and addressing climate change. The course offers a dynamic mix of lecture-based and participatory teaching methods supported by guided excursions to green enterprises and research centers.

The professional development program which took place on 12 – 19 November 2013 was the first training of this kind. From more than 500 applicants worldwide, selected participants from 18 different countries and 4 continents had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with current and expected trends in sustainable energy solutions with an opportunity to reflect on practical, innovative and cost effective ways to address sustainability problems within the energy industry and systems.

Moreover, the participants and UNIDO experts had a chance to visit and learn about some of Slovenia's most technologically developed companies, Hidria Corporation and Robotina Group, which have shown that also in a small country like Slovenia, there is much place for innovative technologies. Also, the visit to Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI) was organized to learn about automatic control of combustion system, particularly important to energy efficiency, development of fuel cells – relevant to renewable energy, rapid testing of advanced control algorithms on industrial environment and algorithm for smoothing the steam consumption.

Based on excellent feedback from participants, the training will be organized in Autumn 2014.