Introduction

The Energy Agency of Southwest Finland organises trainings for Housing Associations about sustainable energy solutions, specially related to heating systems
Objectives and target audience
The main objective of this initiative is to change progressively the old heating systems from houses for new energy efficiency systems by the training of the residents of one-family houses.

The target audience are the housing associations in Turku

Financial Resources and Partners involved
First phase 2005-2006 was mainly financed by Climate Change Campaign organised by the Ministry of Trading and Industry and other part was financed by Finnish Housing Association and heating system industry.

Process

Firstly, an NGO makes contact with the Energy Agency of Southwest Finland.  The Agency conducts a background analysis of the situation of the heating systems in that specific residential area. The Agency is then in charge of planning the contents of the training. Training evening lasts 2,5 hours with coffee brake.
The material was created during the first phase. Material consist about 20 minutes of basics of climate change, then rest of the evening is about sustainable energy solutions like solar energy, wood pellets, heat pumps and wood. Also few minutes about possibilities to get financial support fore the changing of heating system. During the first phase there were 27 training evenings, 17 in Southwest Finland and 10 in other parts of Finland, 663 participants. After that over 50 evenings have been held all over Finland.
Once the trainings are finished, individual contacts are maintained in order to assist trained experts in the renovation of the heating system from their buildings.

Results

Awareness of the climate change and the influence of heating to it raises. People get neutral information about different heating possibilities.

Critical Success Factors / Challenges

Advertising is very important to get the people attend to these evenings. usually when Housing associations orders the experts to give the lecture they are in charge of the marketing and usually it is successful. There’s approximately 25 people in these training evenings, which gives the possibility to give advice face-to-face and answer questions. We have trained new experts in other parts of Finland, but it is difficult to find single persons that are neutral and who know well different types of heating systems. Material is delivered to other energy agencies.