2012
Germany
German TSO 50Hertz collaborates with the NGO UfU to develop educational formats on the energy transition and grid development. These activities are used in areas located around grid projects to enhance young students’ education on these topics and promote participation in the energy transition.
Highlights
01
50Hertz directly contributes to local education efforts on the energy transition.
02
The interactive activities allow students to personally engage with the topic and realise the value of participation.
03
Students are introduced to the complex and competing interests that arise during grid development.
Main Information
Through its collaboration with the Berlin NGO “Independent Institute for Environmental Issues” (UfU), 50Hertz designed two educational formats made for pupils in areas affected by grid projects, allowing the TSO to contribute to local education networks and share social benefits with communities. UfU is a scientific institute and registered non-profit association from Berlin that has been active for around 35 years, with a focus on promoting democracy and education in the environmental field. Together, 50Hertz and UfU have a hands-on exhibition “Transitioning Energy Together”, which is aimed at pupils in the fifth to sixth grades and an online simulation game “Wind over Wintow” made for pupils from grade seven and older.
The moderated hands-on exhibition “Transitioning Energy Together” illustrates the energy transition process to pupils in grades five and six. After a short interactive input on current energy production, students complete various learning stations and place different elements on a carpet map. The learning stations illustrate what the transition of the energy supply from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources and higher energy efficiency entail in practice. Overall, the objective is to convey the possibility for everyone to contribute to the energy transition and stress the importance of electricity grids for this process.
The online simulation game “Wind over Wintow” is an interactive role-playing game in which students gain insights into the multi-layered planning of a fictional wind farm and the associated power grid expansion. The students (from grade 7 onwards) slip into the roles of different actors, all part of a project advisory board, and go through the planning phases of the wind farm from these different perspectives. Role descriptions (mayor, residents’ representatives, nature conservation organisation, youth representatives, farmers) guide the students to represent the interests associated with the different groups involved. During the process, the students negotiate together whether the emphasis should be put on protecting the landscape, promoting tourism, safeguarding the environment or generating economic benefits.
explore more practices
