Elektroway and Proheat implementing a LUT Junior University workshop

Elektroway Oy and Proheat Oy, member companies of the Greenreality Network of the energy and environmental sector, are participating in the implementation of LUT Junior University workshop activities. The companies have been involved in the planning of the Greenreality Network workshop from the beginning with LUT and the City of Lappeenranta. The network’s workshop was piloted at the university on Thursday 21 March for the 8th graders of Sammonlahti School. The workshop is part of the multidisciplinary Sustainable Living study module designed for pupils that will become a permanent part of secondary school teaching following the establishment of Junior University.

In the workshop, under the guidance of Elektroway’s Riikka and Viljami Mehiläinen as well as Juha-Matti Uosukainen, pupils were able to explore building automation and learned that the system can be used to control, for example, lighting, heating or even blinds via a touch screen and mobile devices. The pupils also had the opportunity to test for themselves how easy it is to program various functions in the house with the system. Elektroway also familiarised the pupils with electricity, renewable energy as well as the storage and use of electricity with the Voimala study package. The pupils were able to prepare various couplings and, for example, made a disco ball attached to a circuit plate rotate.

Timo Lappalainen from Proheat introduced the pupils to the water-air heat pump hybrid system controlled via building automation that he has supplied to LUT. It heats and cools the renovated main building of the university in a modern and environmentally friendly manner. The task was to examine the components of the system and consider, for example, the purpose of the valves and circulation pump, and to then find the different parts from the design diagram. The pupils also solved energy-related math problems with the help of teachers and explored various tools needed in pipe and installation work.

The pupils had studied issues related to the topics of the workshop at school in advance. After the workshop, the pupils prepare a presentation at school to teach the things they learned in the workshop to other pupils. Pupils that have participated in other Junior University workshops, in turn, teach the content of their workshops to others.

The Sustainable Living study module also includes a homework assignment where the pupils take the lessons of sustainable living into their homes. In this way, the homes of the 8th graders are involved in Greenreality Homes activities and in considering reducing the carbon footprint of their homes.