The sixth energy literacy promotion festival for the youth (Elektrofest)

The sixth energy literacy promotion festival for the youth (Elektrofest)

Ljubljana, 15 September 2017 - For the sixth year in a row, ELES, Gen energija, Milan Vidmar Electric Power Research Institute and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana joined forces. They presented the functioning of the electric power system to young people. 

The Milan Vidmar Electric Power Research Institute, ELES, Gen energija and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana prepared four electric stations or expert sets of content in the field of electric power for more than 400 students. The experts from ELES prepared a lecture, where they used interesting and interactive ways to present the Slovenian electric power system and the role of ELES in it. The employees of the Milan Vidmar Electric Power Research Institute took students to their high voltage laboratory, where they have been implementing tests on devices that operate in the electric power system for more than fifty years. They presented the system for automatic localisation of atmospheric discharge Scalar and simulated the lightning effect. GEN energija company presented a simulation of the operations of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, students used games to learn about the principles of electric power transmission from power plants to users. Zavod 404 institute presented three projects of students in front of the ELES business office – i.e. the arcade console (device for playing computer games), growbox and hovercraft. 

Within the scope of the event, an official opening of the event also took place at ELES, where the participants were addressed by the director of the IT and Telecommunications Division in ELES, Mag. Venčeslav Perko, the Head of the Electric Power System Control and Operation Department at EIMV, Mag. Andrej Souvent, and the Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Ljubljana, Prof. Dr. Gregor Dolinar.

  The participants were initially greeted by Mag. Venčeslav Perko, the director of the IT and Telecommunications Division in ELES, who emphasised that ELES is well aware of the significance of strengthening energy literacy among the youth. "Knowledge and understanding about energy and the energy sector are an important basis for responsible designing of our energy future," said Mag. Venčeslav Perko. 

The Head of the Electric Power System Control and Operation Department at EIMV, Mag. Andrej Souvent addressed the participants and emphasised that the electric energy system (EES) transformation, boosted by mass integration of renewable dispersed sources of energy and new methods of using electric power, requires new concepts of planning, operation and management of the EES, as well as an enhanced development of new technologies, where information technologies take quite a large share. It also requires highly qualified experts and at the same time energy literate users, because in new concepts each user transforms from a passive to an active participant. "Education - on all levels - is of key importance for a successful implementation of the transition to a modern EES. It must be emphasised that the energy sector is becoming interdisciplinary, where the share of information and communication technologies, machine learning technologies and artificial intelligence is quickly rising," said Mag. Andrej Souvent. 

"Such events are an opportunity for the youth to get a direct insight in one of the fields of electrical engineering and are the result of excellent collaboration between the Faculty of Electrical Engineering," emphasised the Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Ljubljana, Prof. Dr. Gregor Dolinar. 

The participants of the event also visited the exhibition entitled EIMV Over Time, prepared by the Milan Vidmar Electric Power Institute. The exhibition, which will be open until next year, presents EIMV over time, i.e. from its beginnings in 1948 until today. It also shows how EIMV was founded and at which important events it has collaborated. The exhibition also presents research areas of work and its role in the future.