German academy offers green energy knowledge to 14 countries

Seminar attendees outside the training centre

Germany is sharing its renewable energy and energy efficiency expertise with developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America. The German Renewables Academy said this week that it has invited engineers and key players from 14 countries to learn the lessons gleaned from its own booming green energy industry.

More than 800 applications have already been received by the academy, which will be hosting one-week introductory and advanced seminars at its Berlin training centre from this month until June 2009. Follow-up training will be provided throughout 2009 via online courses and one-to-one consultations.

"The program is aimed at participants who can apply the acquired knowledge in the best possible way in their careers," said Berthold Breid, founder and chief executive of the academy. It is hoped the seminars will allow participants to share details of green energy projects in their own countries.

The scheme is part of the academy's Transfer Renewable Energy and Efficiency (TREE) scholarship, which is part-funded by the German government. The TREE website says its objective is to "facilitate the transfer of know-how in renewable energies, energy efficiency and climate protection, for decision makers, high potentials and engineers from developing and emerging countries".

Thanks partly to heavy investment in its solar and wind power industries, Germany has become a key player in green technology, vying with the US for the crown of global cleantech hub.

Fedex recently revealed plans for a solar-powered hub in Germany, and earlier this year German industry sealed one of the biggest ever wind power supply deals when energy giant E.ON agreed to buy 500 wind turbines from engineering conglomerate Siemens.