Our goal is to support sustainable development. For this purpose, we work on projects in the field of energy consulting and realization of renewable energy, in research and development, awareness raising, as well as in renewable energy with business partnerships outside Europe.
The following is an excerpt of our activities:
Dreiklang-EEG
The aim of the „Dreiklang-EEG“ project is that SME’s within the municipality of Gratwein-Straßengel and the regional business park, municipal organizations (such as administrative buildings, kindergartens, schools, the building of the volunteer fire department or sport clubs) and private households of the KEM region “Grat2” corporate as the Renewable Energy Community Dreiklang. The focus is on regional electricity purchase and the use of roof areas for the further expansion of photovoltaic plants. The goal is regional electricity purchase and the use of roof areas for the further expansion of photovoltaic plants. In this project, the establishment, implementation, and the accounting of a regional/local renewable energy community in the municipality of Gratwein-Straßengel as well as in the KEM region “Gratquadrat” will be conceived and implemented. For this purpose, the existing green power plant capacities in the region, active storage facilities, e-cars and heat pumps and the willingness to purchase regional green power will be investigated and further capabilities for active participation in the green power market like the participation in photovoltaic systems, load management and flexibilities will be elaborated and demonstrated.
EEG Florianiberg
The aim of the “EEG Florianiberg” project is the establishment, implementation, and the accounting of a regional renewable energy community in the surrounding area of Graz. The renewable energy community focuses not only on private individuals, but also on direct marketers of agricultural products, as there are many similarities and overlaps in direct sales of sustainable agricultural products and regional green electricity. Many direct marketers are already active in the electricity market with PV systems, e-cars, and electricity storage. The goal is to connect regional producers (farmers, business enterprises) as direct energy marketers with regionally interested consumers through joint electricity trading.
Project Gartenimpulse
The aim of the project „Gartenimpulse - Aligning landscape gardening in a climate-friendly and ecological way” is to develop regional sustainability impulses in horticulture and an understanding of climate-friendly and ecological landscape gardening. Sustainable topics such as ecological sustainable fencing, biodiversity in the garden, adaptations to climate change in garden landscaping and digitalization options in horticulture will be added to the training and education programme of BFI Burgenland. To publicize these new training modules and to raise awareness among the population regarding ecologically sustainable horticulture, an impulse event and a gardening competition will be organized and implemented.
Designing of a climate-compatible and sustainable agriculture
The goal of this project is the development of a climate-compatible agricultural model adapted to the Sömmerda region in Thuringia, which reflects the landscape aesthetics and quality of life. The superordinate task is the interaction of a new model of society in an area dominated by agriculture, in which the areas of economy, ecology, social life and culture are interwoven and of equal value. Further topics are: How can farmers enhance the ecological and aesthetic value of their land in the wake of climate change, without suffering economic losses or becoming increasingly dependent on subsidies? How can the agricultural landscape open up to new models of organization and appropriation that reintegrate the inhabitants and municipalities and give the landscape its own typology? What is regionally marketable, what needs to be developed and built up for regional marketing? Which regional development structures will be of great benefit in the future? The result will be a model-like and sustainable guiding principle for a new landscape typology, the cultural landscape of the 21st century, in which concrete and coordinated measures for a step-by-step implementation from 2020/21 are formulated and presented. In doing so, the landscape area in its complexity and multifunctionality is to be considered, networked and further developed.
Link to project page (IBA Thüringen)
Link of the final report (Klimakulturlandschaft)
Wind Turbine-Maintenance Course Turkey
The project "Wind Turbine-Maintenance Course" in Turkey is being implemented in cooperation with our partners in Austria and Turkey. The goal of this project is the development of a maintenance course for the qualification of the maintenance personnel of wind turbines and a subsequent transfer of the concept into its permanent operation. In the medium term, the planned wind turbine maintenance course is intended to offer the comprehensive and integrated education of wind power specialists, taking into account international standards (e.g. GWO). In the long term, it is planned to develop further courses in the field of renewable energies (e.g. photovoltaics, biomass use, geothermal energy, etc.) or in the field of maintenance (e.g. railways) and safety or quality management with the ARGE partner Yaşar University.
Information
Wood Competence Centre Egypt Inception Phase
The project "Wood Competence Centre Egypt Inception Phase" aims for the development of a vocational wood competence centre in Egypt to increase local value as well as to revitalize the craft of Egyptian woodworking. The development of a training centre for wood processing in Egypt is intended to meet the rapidly growing demand of the local market with a sustainable local training strategy and to act as a role model for the whole of Egypt.
Information
Promoting life-giving water with the power of the sun
The project "greening the desert" is accompanied by Sekem Energy and was started by the SEKEM initiative in Egypt. A major challenge is to realize the energy supply of irrigation systems, such as the pivots in the middle of the desert, as the precious water has to be brought up from the depths. The objective of this project is to green 630,000 m2 (63 ha = 90 football pitches) of desert land for biodynamic agriculture and sustainable community development with solar power. With the installation of our first photovoltaic system in Al Wahat in the Bahariya Oasis, we have already gained extensive experience. Farm managers have also been trained to maintain the PV system. Now, based on this experience, further wells are to be built and the pivots will also be supplied with solar power. The project is to become a sustainable showcase project in which solar power, an abundant resource in arid countries, is used to lift and distribute CO2-free water from the depths. In cooperation with SEKEM experts and scientists from Heliopolis University, SEKEM will use this project to conduct a long-term study on the development of soil quality and to expand its specialist knowledge. The financing of this project will be realized by means of crowdfunding.
Link to greening the desert
EUREVITA Pannonia
EUREVITA Pannonia is a Hungarian-Austrian INTERREG project for the development of a sustainable structure to revitalise cultural heritage and rare crafts. The aim of the project is to preserve and pass on old craft techniques in the area of buildings to the younger generation.
Information
EUREVITA
EUREVITA is a Slovenian-Austrian INTERREG project for the development of a sustainable cross-border labour economy structure to revitalise cultural heritage and rare crafts. The aim of the project is to revitalise old crafts through innovative cross-border training and networking measures, thus preserving the rich history and great diversity of old rural and industrial crafts and trades.
Information
Link to EUREVITA
Finding energy talents
In cooperation with the BFI Burgenland, measures are being developed to attract the interest and willingness for the large occupational field of "energy technicians" and to arouse the interest for the elementary level. The goal is to point out career opportunities and perspectives and to mediate in the course of various events/measures. The identification and promotion of technically gifted young people with talents in the field of energy technology/renewable energy is intended to strengthen the regional economy in the long term, to create regional jobs and to serve as a countermeasure to youth unemployment.
Apple microbiome
As part of the apple microbiome project, pupils and scientists from Graz University of Technology are investigating the microbiome of apples. The investigations should lead to new insights and to a reevaluation of our relationship with microorganisms. The aim is a scientific publication about the composition of the apple microbiome, as well as the development of a new, sustainable method for the storage of apples and an environmentally friendly management of apple diseases.
Link to apple microbiome
Paving new ways for sustainable photovoltaic solutions in Egypt
With their strategic alliance, four Austrian companies - Sekem Energy GmbH, Elektro Merl GmbH, BFI Burgenland and Sattler & Schanda Rechtsanwälte GbR - are making a contribution within the framework of a working group to create favourable framework conditions as well as theoretical and practical fundamentals for the successful use of photovoltaics (PV) in Egypt. Together with Egyptian partners - Heliopolis University, American University of Cairo as well as Vocational Training Centre Belbeis - technical knowledge about the professional installation and operation of photovoltaic systems will be made available. Local educational institutions will be supported in expanding their range of courses. Government agencies are given the opportunity to train their employees. Higher safety and quality standards in the PV sector will be defined and made available to the public. The project measures also include the survey of local technical possibilities, the local availability of components for PV systems, the construction of a PV demonstration system for research and training purposes, the training of PV technicians and the initiation of a PV platform in Egypt.
Information
BIOCOMES
BIOCOMES is an EU research project that investigates the ecological evaluation of process steps in the production of conventional and biological pesticides.
Link to BIOCOMES
Development of the Egyptian market for high-quality solar thermal systems
Egypt is an example of a country in upheaval. Severe political, economic and social difficulties characterise the country and its people. Solar thermal energy has an enormous economic and energetic potential, which has been up to now underutilized in this country. The purpose of the economic partnership is to adapt European solar thermal systems to Egyptian conditions and to make knowledge and technology available to the various educational institutions (in the form of vocational training and university education). In addition, cooperation is to be established with local companies so that high-quality solar thermal systems can be manufactured locally as much as possible in the medium term. The Austrian companies Sekem Energy, Pink and GREENoneTEC contribute their knowledge in the fields of solar technology, storage construction and strategic planning. The local partner company is Sekem, a producer of organic food, health products and textiles from ecological cultivation. In the economic partnership, (1) the technology will be adapted to the Egyptian requirements, (2) teachers and professors of the vocational training centre and the Heliopolis University will be trained in theory and practice and supplements for the curricula will be developed, (3) sales partners and suppliers will be trained in solar thermal energy and (4) measures will be implemented to create favourable framework conditions.
Information
Link to Egatsolar
Link to business partner of the ADA
Following the completion of a successful solar thermal development project, Sekem Energy GmbH has launched a new project to put solar thermal energy on the Egyptian market. The continuation of this successful cooperation places a particular focus on a high local added value and the raising of awareness for sustainable solutions for a large audience in almost all social classes. To this end, a concept was developed in which Sekem Energy, together with the internationally active partners GREENoneTEC GmbH, Pink GmbH, Ingenieurbüro Reischl and other strategic partners, implements and coordinates the development of a value chain to which the Egyptian and Austrian partners contribute their know-how. 50% of this new project is supported by the Austrian Development Agency - ADA. One of the main goals of the formed Austrian-Egyptian strategic alliance is to provide solar thermal systems for hotel complexes to boost the Egyptian tourism industry. Furthermore, the greatest possible contributor of added value in Egypt is to be achieved in the medium term by locally available components and local specialists.
Green4City
This project develops a planning tool for urban planners and regional developers which shows the added value of greening in cities. It also evaluates the energy saving potential through greening (e.g. facade greening, roof greening, etc.).
Information
The cup as packaging - biodegradable alternative to plastic cups
Valuepap offers project support and project development to companies from Salzburg (Valuepack), which replaces plastics with renewable raw materials. (E.g. the development of rottable and compostable coffee cups for vending machines)
Link to Valuepap
ALP Autarkic food production
The companies involved complement each other with their products in the value-added chain of plant cultivation. Through the combination of their expertise and the 2-year practice-oriented qualification measures at BOKU, the partners strengthen their thematic leadership in food production with closed substance cycles. This enables them to meet the mega-trend of a sustainable economy and the customer demand for efficient self-sufficiency.
Information
Qualification network for straw use in construction
Building with straw is a forgotten tradition in Austria, whose slow rediscovery and renewal can optimally serve the goals: low primary energy demand, cascading use of local resources or CO2 avoidance and reduction of import dependency due to available resources. The challenges in attaining these goals include a lack of "know-how", no uniformly known legal situation or licences as well as certifications that are not accessible to all. A qualification network with several essential university partners and network partners from the construction industry provide a targeted and effective remedy. In addition, the market pioneers can share already acquired knowledge with future partners and win them over for business relationships and establish recognized scientifically-based standards in processing legal certainty between suppliers and customers.
Information
KMU - Energy efficiency check
The KMU Energy Efficiency Check provides consulting for KMU`s with the goal of an increase in energy efficiency and recognition of energy saving potentials (for enterprises in the Steiermark, Salzburg and Burgenland)
LW - Energy efficiency check
The LW Energy Efficiency Check provides consulting for agricultural enterprises. (E.g. sustainable raw material production, identification of energy saving potentials and rough planning of solar thermal and PV system concepts...)
Citizen participation facility Attendorf
This project investigates the development and planning of a citizen participation system with solar energy (PV) in the community of Attendorf.
Link to Surenergy
Vitikult - Wine growers in Central Burgenland
This project explores the development of an energy system solution based on renewable energy for the redwine growers association VITIKULT (consisting of 8 excellent winegrowers)
Link to Vitikult
Vitikult - Sustainable Process Index (SPI) Rating
The goal is to create an ecological evaluation of the process steps in red wine production and develop a concept for sustainable red wine production based on renewable energy.
Excursion management for renewable energy "Energieschaustraße"
The goal is to develop an educational tourism concept based on regional value chains in the field of renewable energy. First, the "Energieschaustrasse" was implemented in Central Burgenland, later also in Southern Burgenland.
Link to Energieschaustrasse
Welding school concept - Focus on renewable energy
This project involves a commission to develop a welding school concept and implement the welding school in Egypt.
Information
