Partners

Funky Renewables



Funky Renewables  was formed in 2011 by professionals who met and took part in Leonardo projects in 2009, namely "Renewable Energy Specialists" (TOI), then "Renewvet" (Partnership), "Building & Sustaining Low Carbon Economies" (VETPRO), "Fit for Future" (TOI), "TrainWind" (TOI). Through learning in these projects they saw the opportunities working in the sector and combining their knowledge and skills within trades such as: electrical engineering, surveying, vocational training and project management.


Funky Renewables is applying for the partnership based on their expertise in the sector within renewables and within the Green Economy. Funky Renewables has 4 members of staff and many professionals (sub-contractors) who realise low carbon projects in and around London (practical installation of renewable technologies) but also lend their advice to schools, local authorities, private and public companies. Combined, their expertise in the renewable energy sector/ green economy is over 55 years as some staff have been renewable pioneers since the 1960s. The company is being led by Fergal McEntee (building surveyor/ MsC in Renewable Technologies), Dirk Bischof (Metal Engineer, Research Masters in Social Anthropology) and Graham Ancient (Electrical, Plumbing, Heating Engineer and Renewables Technologies vocational trainer) and Jake Rendle-Worthington (MsC Renewable Technologies/ Researcher).

Over the years, we have come to understand that the green economy is being expanded at different paces across Europe. This has led to some countries being ahead of the game, whereas others have to catch up. Funky staff will lead this project in terms of overall project management, research and local activities focusing on the UK, dissemination and mainstreaming to UK/ EU audiences as well as general evaluation and monitoring activities for the partnership.

Funky Renewables has recently been awarded UK Green Deal provider and the training and accreditation necessary for this has cast doubts as to why this process is so different from training for staff in Germany/ Austria (where the training is longer and of more depth). This has inspired our project and preliminary research into the field of Domestic Energy Assessment of buildings, which underpins many parts of the new Green Deal in the UK. Whilst this is a pioneering funding mechanism for low carbon technologies within the EU, it does pose serious questions about its quality and desired, long-term carbon reduction goals.

Cleaner Production Center (CPC)


The Cleaner Production Center (CPC) Austria was founded in 1996 by the  City of Graz and the Austrian Kommunalkredit AG. Now as a private company our mission is to provide a professional information source and establish a national and international platform for Cleaner Production issues. The CPC was charged with the international dissemination of the internationally awarded ECOPROFIT programme – a first level environmental management system (EMS). As a company, we organise the delivery of ECOPROFIT programmes, support the implementation by conducting workshops and running a consultancy. We are very active in the further development of the ECOPROFIT programme across Europe, currently under a Leonardo da Vinci project;  Transfer of Innovation project called  "fit 4 future with green skills"

The latest development of the CPC is the training programme “Environmental manager according to ECOPROFIT” and “Energy manager according to ECOPROFIT” , which brings sustainability knowledge to individuals on different levels in the world of work. It aims at individuals who enter the workplace (pupils, apprentices), individuals who are preparing to re-enter the workplace (unemployed, returners) and employees. The respective parts of the programme feature heavily also the energy assessment of buildings hence the proposed partnership project is of great interest for our organisation and also for our silent partners in order to actively exchange knowledge, learn about developments across other EU member states and to understand the Best Practices in our country, compared to partner countries. We are taking part to contribute to an ongoing debate on vocational training in this area as new developments need to be featured also in the training and education side.

Bildung-Centre Suedthueringen (BCS)



BCS (Bildung-Centre Suedthueringen e.V.) – a not-for profit vocational training and further education college is a well equipped training centre with residential setting. The organisation has a track-record of successful European placement projects (IVT/ VETPRO) since 2004. They are situated in the German Solar Valley: A concentration of renewable energy companies in Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt that is unique in the world. With pioneering spirit and entrepreneurial courage, highly qualified and motivated employees and support from politics at a national and regional level have made that part of central Germany into an outstanding region for renewables. The industry has formed a cluster called "Solar Valley Central Germany". The Solar Valley has been winning the top cluster title since 2008 in the nationwide high-tech competition promoted by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.


The BCS is located in Thuringia, a German state that achieved EU-wide renewable energy targets of 20% already in 2010 (rather than in 2020). They are on track to achieving a contribution of renewable energy of 30% by 2020. Their success has been partly due to forward-thinking funding mechanisms (Feed-in Tariffs) but also by state-sponsored energy efficiency measures for buildings in all 3 areas: domestic, commercial and public. The integration of various professions in the decision making and delivery of low carbon technologies is a Best Practice example that has been highlighted across Germany. The BCS has invested in renewables themselves with a 120KW Solar PV install and a Combined Heat and Power Unit (CHP), reducing the overall CO2 emissions by almost 40%. In-house recycling and waste reduction mechanisms contribute to an overall low CO2 emission profile (compared to similar facilities)

BCS has over 60 members of staff and has recently invested heavily in renewable energy technologies. The CEO has been instrumental at making the region (in South Thuringia) known for renewable energy and vocational training and he is also involved in various local and regional networks promoting the use of sustainable resources and renewable energies.

RA Alternatif Enerji



RA is an SME founded by Ege University researchers and oriented to conduct work and research within the sustainable energy sector. Serving regional organisations, local government for developing sustainable energy action plans and preparing/ managing the relevant emission reduction projects, RA became a major player in İzmir (a city of 3 million people). Besides the consultancy and EPC (Energy Performance Certification) services delivered, RA is also involved in the PV power plant construction and running. RA founders also works for developing vocational standards and national qualifications frameworks for PV, wind and solar thermal jobs within the National Qualifications Authority of Turkey.


Turkey has a new Building Energy Efficiency legislation that stipulates all buildings to have Energy Performance Certificates by 2014. This creates an urgent need of knowledge and know-how related to auditing buildings and reporting the results to certification authorities. RA seeks to increase human resources capacity in this sector.

Regionálna rozvojová agentúra Turiec


Regionálna rozvojová agentúra Turiec is already 10 years helping with complex development of Turiec Region. RRA Turiec offers expert help for villages, cities, public institutions, schools and entrepreneurial sector. As a strategy development consulting partner, RRA is cooperating on projects aimed at lowering energy consumption and costs, processing application for constructing schools, roads and public buildings. The agency cooperates with architects and construction engineers, it is managing and controlling several ongoing construction projects.



RRA is involved also in consulting and educational activities in the area of applying for EU funding for cities, villages, entrepreneurs etc. It helps with securing energy audits (assessments).  RRA Turiec also prepares projects for renewal of public lightning, using alternative sources of energy. It is presenting innovative concepts and coordinates development of areas, where 52 villages and cities with more than 100.000 inhabitants live.

ETP Sicó


ETP Sicó - Pólo de Penela is a well established vocational School in a Portuguese town near the University city of Coimbra in central Portugal.  In our teaching establishment, which is part of a bigger group, made up of three different schools (Penela, Avelar and Alvaiázare), students can take courses in Renewable Energies and Laboratory Analysis.

Our pupils are mainly from disadvantaged backgrounds and have a limited contact with other countries. We have circa 120 students, two thirds of which study renewable energy technologies (RE). Although the students study all forms of RE, there is a focus on wind and solar power. During and after the course the students go on an intensive training period at real companies where they gain thorough practical experience.