Energy and Environment Office Activities
The energy and environment offices use many methods in their work to promote renewable energy, energy savings, and other green solutĦons.
Free educational, information, and consultancy activities
Everybody is welcome to contact the offices, either personally or by phone during opening hours, with questions about everything related to renewable energy and energy savings. The energy adviser is often able to give an answer immediately or has written material that is sent to people who apply.
The opening hours and staff at the individual offices depend on, if the office receives financial support, or the activities solely are based on subscriptions and voluntary work. The energy and environment offices that receive core funding from the Danish Energy Agency, employ an energy adviser and have fixed opening hours.
The offices answer all inquiries. If the individual office can not answer on the spot, it is in contact with other energy and environment offices and other competent persons it can lean on. So in most cases the answer can be found within a few days.
Exhibitions
The energy and environment offices often organize exhibitions in the local area. Most energy and environment offices have carried out solar energy campaigns together with local plumbers.
Arrangements
Public lectures, debates, conferences, and meetings, are other methods the energy and environment offices use to disseminate information. They can either take place at the office, or a representative from the office visits a school or a meeting hall, and gives a lecture: for example on solar heating, wind power, or low energy building. These meetings are advertised in the daily newspapers.
Publication
of a newsletter, books, magazines, booklets, etc. The energy and environmunt offices stay in contact with their members through a local newsletter, that is issued four to six times a year.
Presentation of plants and demonstration houses
Many energy and environment offices arrange open house days once or several times a year, where it is possible to visit wind turbine cooperatives, biogas plants, a family with a solar colleetor on the roof, plants for collection of rainwater, etc.
Resource audit of the house
Members of the association can have a visit from an energy adviser, who examines the house. Based on the audit, the energy adviser will recommend electricity, heat, and water saving measures, e.g. installation of renewable energy plants, recycling, etc.
Teaching
The energy and environment offices also spend some time on teaching in primary schools, adult education centres, day classes, etc. The education can be either on a specific topic, or in general on renewable energy and various environmental conditions.
Demonstration plants, plus research and development projects
The energy and environment offices act as initiators and consultants in larger projects. But the extent of these activities is very dependent on which skills the active members of the individual association have.
Consultancy
Some energy and environment offices undertake paid consultancy, by virtue of specially qualified staff, either employces or in the background group. They take part in realizing different types of renewable energy projects - e.g. large wind turbine projecs, biogas plants, or building renovation. But in the majority of cases, the role of the energy and environment offices is to promote and bring the ideas into effect. The practical implementation is thereafter done by local tradesmen, or for larger projects by a consulting engineer.