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Table of Contents
- Invitation to Folkecenter’s Christmas Lunch
- FC has a new Electric Car!
- POEASE – Project Meetings
- Folkecenter’s 40 Years Anniversary
- Energy know-how and technology from Thy to Uganda
- Folkecenter Delegation Meets with Members of Parliament
- 8th International Conference on Small & Medium Energy
- Christian Nereus Grant – New Chairman of Nordic Folkecenter
- Folkecenter Met with Member of Parliament from Greenland
- Nordic Folkecenter Represents Scandinavian Renewable Energy Companies at the UN Procurement Seminar
- Folkecenter Attended the Citizens’ Meetings Arranged by the Sydthy Energy Association
- Current Trainees at Folkecenter
- Meet the Trainees
- PV Panels in Folkecenter
- E-mobility in Folkecenter
- Upcoming Events
Invitation to Folkecenter’s Christmas Lunch
Dear members of FC Support Group, business partners and employees,
we would be delighted to see you for the Christmas lunch at Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy on Wednesday the 20th of December at 14:00. The event takes place at our conference center, SkibstedFjord, here at Nordic Folkecenter.
For the sake of the kitchen elf, we ask that you register by December 12th at the latest to tsk@folkecenter.dk
FC has a new Electric Car!
Former trainees – or anyone who has been in Folkecenter in the last ten years – will remember the “Red car”, companion of many excursions and adventures. Well, time passes for everyone, including for the red car…and one day it is just time to move on!
As the car was involved in an accident at the beginning of the year (luckily no one got injured), it was decided that the moment came to send it to retirement and get a substitute. After a long search and evaluation, we found its successor: welcome everyone to the new Folkecenter’s Dacia Spring!
The car entered Folkecenter’s family in June and it was purchased used, with approximately 39.000 km on the clock. Currently, if bought new, it is still the cheapest electric car that you can get in Europe – although that is probably going to change soon, as competitors are planning to release vehicles in the same price range.
Forget about the power or hi-tech that you can find in Teslas (or similar): this is meant as a cheap, electric city car, equipped with only the essential. Still, that essential fits very well with our needs (and the ones of many people) and it can still carry four people from A to B without worrying too much about range.
The car is equipped with a usable 25 kWh battery and has 33 kW of power (equivalent to 45 hp). The declared range is between 110 and 255 km, depending on the weather conditions, and our model is equipped with a 34 kW DC quick charger, which can bring the car from 10% to 80% in 38 minutes. It is based on the petrol-powered Renault Kwid (designed for the Indian market) which has an average CO2 emission of 108 g/km. This will be the value will we now use to track the CO2 savings for this car.
The Dacia fulfills three objectives: first, to allow our trainees to move around; second, to make young people experience electric cars, so that they will consider them when buying their own; third, as a test bench for our studies on renewable energy system integration and electricity price monitoring.
We hope the Dacia will be with us for many years and that it will drive all the new generations of trainees towards an emission-free world!
POEASE – Project Meetings
As you may recall from some of the previous newsletters, Folkecenter is leading a project called POEASE – Promote Online Education for Agriculture in a Sustainable Environment. The goal, as the name suggests, is to provide agricultural VET[1] schools with tools which can help them facing modern challenges – both in terms of digitalization and of access to new knowledge.
During these months we conducted a number of digital meetings, where we discussed the key aspects of the project but, as you may imagine, not everything can be done exclusively online! An important part of the project activity was also to meet in presence with the whole partnership; this has two functions: first, to being able to solve any challenge which cannot – or which is more difficult to – solve in a pure digital environment. By meeting in person, we had the chance to exchange our views, solve problems and discuss the following steps of the project.
However, there is also a second reason, which, being this an Erasmus+ financed project, is crucial: interaction. The EU wants people to meet also in person, because that is the way to bind together and to establish solid relationships….and so it was.
We really saw a huge benefit in getting together in the two appointments we had during these months: the first taking place in Thessaloniki, Greece (14-15 June) and the second one few days ago, in Pamplona, Spain (8-9 November). During both, besides the usual project work, we also had the chance to visit the facilities of the hosting agricultural organizations and, in Pamplona, also the premises of an agricultural VET school. On top of that, in both occasions we had the opportunity to present the project to our target audience, during a public session and, most important, to get good feedbacks that we will now use to further develop the project.
During the meeting in Pamplona we also presented the prototype of what will the educational modules that we need to develop look like; the audience was quite positive about that, which gives us the hope that we are progressing on the right path.
Those who would like to stay updated on the project can mark their interest here.
[1] VET = Vocational Education and Training
Folkecenter’s 40 Years Anniversary
June was a very busy month this year: we were just back from the POEASE meeting in Thessaloniki that it was already time for our international conference, organized to celebrate the 40 years of Folkecenter.
The event took place between the 21st and the 25th of June and it combined presentations from international energy experts, excursions to relevant installations, presentations of the outcomes of the Project 7-9-13 and a lot of networking! It was great to meet so many old and new friends and to discuss together available solutions for turning our world into a greener place.
The conference had a very good participation, with approximately 90 people representing 25 countries; we were also glad to see many former trainees, proof that the Folkecenter connection does not stop when one leaves the place.
Furthermore, during the event we took the opportunity to launch the book “Vinden blæser stadig” (The wind is still blowing), prepared, together with our network, for celebrating the 40th anniversary of Folkecenter. The book is available for free on digital format (can be found here) or you can get a physical copy for 50 DKK + shipping. If you are interested in this option, please contact Trine Sund Kammersgaard (tsk@folkecenter.dk).
All the presentations and videos of the event can be found on folkecenterevents.net.
Energy know-how and technology from Thy to Uganda
Nordic Folkecenter for Sustainable Energy in Thy and two NGOs in Uganda are collaborating to increase climate resilience in northwestern Uganda. The project is supported by Civil Society in Development (CISU), and it allowed a young engineer from Joint Energy and Environment Projects in Uganda to be on a training stay in Thy to learn how to construct wind turbine blades, generators, pv cells and LED lamps.
In the northwestern corner of Uganda, the district of Nebbi is wedged between Lake Albert on one side and the Democratic Republic of Congo on the other. Like so many other areas of Uganda, access to electricity is very limited in Nebbi. This is one of the reasons why Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy, the Uganda folkecenter Joint Energy and Environment Projects (JEEP) and the Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development (UCSD) have teamed up on a project to spread renewable energy solutions in the area, which resulted in the engineer Clive Zeus Misagga from JEEP to undergo a training in Thy as part of the project.
– I am here to learn how to construct and maintain small wind turbines, pv cells and LED light installations. LED lights are cheap and energy-efficient technology that can be relatively easily rolled out in schools and health clinics in Uganda, says Clive Zeus Misagga.
Energy necessary for development
JEEP and Nordic Folkecenter have both existed for 40 years, and have collaborated on a number of development projects.
– Energy is a necessity for the development of a country and its population. That’s why we work to build knowledge and education, and with the help of the many volunteers and funds from private and public sources, such as CISU, we can take on that task, says Jane Kruse, director of the Nordic Folkecenter for Sustainable Energy.
Cheap technology
When Clive Zeus Misagga retured home to Uganda in mid-August, he started spreading the knowledge he has gained in Denmark.
– Initially, I have to train the interns and other young people we have at JEEP in how to make optimal LED lighting, wind turbine blades, generators and pv installations. Then they can go out and train more people who can do the same, and in that way create a chain reaction that can spread that knowledge, says Clive Zeus Misagga.
The key to success is that the technology and the parts to be used are cheap and available in Uganda.
– In the turbine I have built here at Folkecenter, the generator part is taken from a defective hoverboard, and the LED bulbs are soldered together in lamps constructed of wood. These are all cheap parts that are available in Uganda, which is important for us to get it widespread, says Clive Zeus Misagga.
The project is called Climate Action for Improved & Sustainable Livelihoods (CAISL) and runs from July this year until December 2024. The project is supported by Civil Society in Development (CISU).
Folkecenter Delegation Meets with Members of Parliament
Politician-tour. By the end of 2021 the majority of the Danish parliament, Folketinget, decided to put Nordic Folkecenter back on the national budget. At the end of August, a delegation from Nordic Folkecenter met with national politicians in the parliament and on the “Kulturfolkemødet” on the island Mors close to Thy. We met with Simon Kollerup, Socialdemokratiet, Torsten Schack Pedersen, Venstre, Henrik Franden, Moderaterne and Franciska Rosenkilde, Alternativet.
In the following weeks we continued meetings with representatives from the rest of the parties in parliament. Our delegation also had the chance to see and admire the Danish constitution, Grundloven, and to have a guided tour around the parliament building, Christiansborg, led by Folkecenters former chairman and former MP, Ole Vagn Christensen.
8th International Conference on Small & Medium Energy
112 people from 42 countries participated to the 8th International Conference on Small and Medium Wind Energy which was held physically at Nordic Folkecenter in September 2023 as well as virtually on Zoom and YouTube.
The event is part of a series of conferences which runs since 2019 and which it is turning into a yearly not-to-miss appointment for experts and enthusiasts of the sector; we are very glad to see people from all over the world joining us for discussing challenges, opportunities and new developments within the small, medium and distributed wind energy sector.
All the proceedings of the conference, together with the recordings of the presentations are available on folkecenterevents.net.
Next year’s appointment will take place on 24-25 September and it will also include an excursion to Hamburg Wind 2024, on September 26. We hope that many people will decide to join us in presence, as that is the best way of networking. More info and registration to the event are available on folkecenterevents.net.
Christian Nereus Grant – New Chairman of Nordic Folkecenter
Christian Nereus Grant takes over as chairman of the board at Nordic Folkecenter and replaces former MP, Ole Vagn Christensen, after many years as chairman and member of the Folkecenter board.
Christian Nereus Grant, 58 year old, wave power developer, is the new chairman of Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy. Christian originally came to Thy as site manager for the testing of the WaveStar project at Hanstholm and was later connected to DanWec – the national wave energy center also in Hanstholm. Today Christian runs his own wave power enterprise as well as guiding energy tours at the national testcenter for large wind turbines in Østerild, Thy. As a developer, Christian came in touch with the Nordic Folkecenter.
– It was a bit of an epiphany. Imagine that such a place exists where people, from blacksmiths and other small companies to data geeks and inventors, can to get help with testing and development of the many ideas that all too often end up in a desk drawer, says Christian Nereus Grant about his first meeting with the Folkecenter.
Besides using the facilities at Folkecenter in his own development program, Christian has also been a member of the board for some years as vice chairman. Now he takes over as chairman.
Big shoes to fill
– Ole Vagn Christensen may not be big of stature, but he leaves some very big shoes to fill here at the Folkecenter. So it is with a bit of awe that I take over the chairman role but also with a big wish to develop the place further from the strong foundation that Ole and others have laid down an built on through 40 years, says Christian Nereus Grant.
For the new chairman it’s a question of developing the educational activities at Folkecenter, the physical facilities and exhibitions as well as the branding of Folkecenter locally and nationally.
– The test facilities at Folkecenter, the collaboration about data with companies and universities, the work in developing countries, together with our trainee-program that every year welcomes around 20 engineering student from around the world are some of the big strenghts in Folkecenters activities today. We should build on that to become an even better partner for development and knowledge sharing, says Christian Nereus Grant.
Folkecenter needed more than ever
The new chairman thinks that Nordic Folkecenter today is needed more than ever.
– If not now – with our climate goals in Denmark and the world’s climate severity – then when are we, as society to invest in innovation and incubator environments for small and middle sizes enterprises working with renewable energy ideas?, says Christian Nereus Grant.
He therefore sees a bright future for Nordic Folkecenter.
– We have a strong foundation and a great potential for developing and modernizing the Folkecenter. It won’t be easy, because the unique spirit of the place has to live on, even though the pioneers gradually retires, says Christian Nereus Grant.
The new vice-chairman of Nordic Folkecenter is Per Thostrup.
Folkecenter Met with Member of Parliament from Greenland
By the end of October a delegation from Nordic Folkecenter met with member of parliament Aaja Chemnitz from Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA), to talk about Folkecenter’s arctic project which focus on an educational program for young technicians for renewable energy facilities in arctic areas – namely in settlements in Greenland, which depend on their own energy production. Nordic Folkecenter leads the project that has Nukissiorfiit, Greenlands Energy Company, Greenlands Technical School KTI, Svalbard Follkehøgskole, Norway and Herningsholm Technical School as partners. You can read more about the project here.
Nordic Folkecenter Represents Scandinavian Renewable Energy Companies at the UN Procurement Seminar
This week, the UN procurement seminar was held in the UN city in Copenhagen. The Nordic Folkecenter for Sustainable Energy participated on behalf of a number of Scandinavian renewable energy companies to, among other things, promote small scale wind turbines to the UN procurement system.
– The Danish-produced small scale wind turbines are among the best in the world, and they are obvious tools for renewable energy solutions in the UN’s development programmes. In large parts of the world, access to electricity is insufficient, and small wind turbines are an obvious part of the solution, says Jane Kruse, director of the Nordic Folkecenter for Sustainable Energy.
The UN procurement seminar took place from 13-15 November as a series of workshops that gave Nordic companies the opportunity to meet with UN representatives from several agencies and present their solutions and products. The main aim of the seminar was to ensure that the Nordic countries continue to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to the UN, improve understanding of the UN’s needs and challenges and improve cooperation across public, private and international sectors.
Online meeting for renewable energy companies associated with FOLKECENTER
On 28 November, the Nordic Folkecenter will invite a number of companies that are and have been associated with the center to an online meeting to present the most important points from the procurement seminar.
– We believe it is important for our companies to gain an insight into what the UN’s needs and wishes are in relation to sustainable solutions. Therefore, at the online meeting, we will pick up on the seminar, so that the companies that have not had the opportunity to be present themselves can be informed, says Jane Kruse.
The UN procurement seminar in Copenhagen was organized by the Nordic consortium consisting of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland and Danish Industry, Innovation Norway, Business Sweden, Business Iceland and Business Finland in partnership with the Nordic UN Global Compact and the Danish Export Association. See more.
To register to the online meeting (only in Danish), please use this link.
Folkecenter Attended the Citizens’ Meetings Arranged by the Sydthy Energy Association
In week 46, the newly established Energy Association Sydthy held citizen meetings in Vestervig, Bedsted and Hurup (DK). Nordic Folkecenter participated in all three meetings. At the meeting in Hurup, Jane Kruse (Folkecenter’s director) had the opportunity to present thermal heating as an option for smaller urban communities outside the district heating network.
The purpose of the newly started association is to organize the citizens of Sydthy (The 3 postcodes: 7755 Bedsted Thy, 7760 Hurup Thy and 7770 Vestervig), so that the association’s members have as much to say as possible in the planning of energy plants in the area.
The board leader, Lisbeth Bang Nielsen, welcomed the meetings. After this, there was a speech from Jens-Philip Petersen from Thisted municipality, who told about the municipality’s plan to ensure local support for the energy projects implemented in the municipality. In this connection, the municipality has given the citizens a kind of veto right to ensure that only projects that can achieve broad public support are carried out. Afterwards, Bjørn Holmgaard from Vores Energi talked about the experience with jointly owned energy plants and energy associations elsewhere in the country, including Ærø and Hvidesande.
The purpose of the Sydthy Energy Association is also to ensure that a significant part of the ownership of the renewable energy plants must be placed in a locally owned commercial fund. The fund’s profits must be used for the development of the local area, so that the profits benefit as many citizens as possible in the local area.
From the Nordic Folkecenter’s side, we look forward to following the further work closely, and contributing with our experiences. For us, it is important to keep an eye on the households that are outside the district heating network, and ensure the necessary support, so that they too can become part of the green transition. For example, through subsidies for replacing oil boilers with heat pumps and the possibility of sharing household wind turbines between neighbours.
Current Trainees at Folkecenter
Camila Vélez
Architecture
Colombia
Güneş Güloğlu
Energy Systems Engineering
Türkiye
Šimon Cvopa
Mechanical Engineering
Slovakia
Ole Hendrik Piatke
Engineering for Renewable Energies
Germany
Oğuz Hacıoğlu
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Türkiye
Meet the Trainees
Clement Naulleau, France
Period in Folkecenter: June – August 2023
Valentin Bobichon, France
Period in Folkecenter: June – August 2023
Ousmane Diallo, Senegal
Period in Folkecenter: June – September 2023
Güneş Güloğlu, Türkiye
Period in Folkecenter: June – November 2023
PV Panels in Folkecenter
PV Test Station
Total energy produced in November:
73 kWh
Total energy produced in 2023:
7150 kWh+
Total energy produced from 2012:
97900 kWh+
Total CO2 saved from
2012:
73 tons+
More information on the PV test station can be found here.
E-mobility in Folkecenter
Total CO2 saved: 10738 Kg
Upcoming Events
28 NOVEMBER 2023
Onlinemøde omkring FN-indkøbsseminaret (Danish only)
Den 28. november vil Nordisk Folkecenter indbyde en række af de virksomheder, som er og har været tilknyttet centret, til et online-møde for at præsentere de vigtigste pointer fra indkøbsseminaret.
Tilmelding (senest den 27. november): her
08 DECEMBER 2023
Side Event COP28 – Online
This year Folkecenter will participate virtually to COP28. We are glad to inform you that we have already been assigned a space for our official side event!
The event, titled “100% Renewable & Local Solutions: Africa, South Asia & Global climate resilience & poverty reduction” will be carried out together with our partners from GEN, INSEDA and SusWatch. It will take place on Friday 08 December, 11:30-13:00 local time, equivalent to 08:30-10:00 Danish time. The event will be live-streamed. To receive the link (as soon as we get it), please insert your mail here
20 DECEMBER 2023
Folkecenter’s Christmas Lunch
Dear members of FC Support Group, business partners and employees,
we would be delighted to see you for the Christmas lunch at Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy on Wednesday the 20th of December at 14:00. The event takes place at our conference center, SkibstedFjord, here at Nordic Folkecenter.
For the sake of the kitchen elf, we ask that you register by December 12th at the latest to tsk@folkecenter.dk
24, 25 + 26 September 2024
9th International Conference on Small & Medium Wind Energy
The 9th edition of the Small wind conference will take place on 24-25 September 2024 and again it will be in a blended format, both online and in presence. You can already register on folkecenterevents.net.
If you would like to be a speaker, please send your proposal by May 5th, 2024.
In case you are interested in sponsoring the event, please get in contact with Daniele Pagani (dp@folkecenter.dk).