The county of Värmland in Sweden, where LIFE Academy is located, is expected to face a sharp increase in electricity consumption in the coming years. This will require new solar electricity production and more sustainable energy solutions that will not overload the national grid (including energy storage and microgrids). LIFE Academy has recently been awarded two feasibility studies to be carried out in 2025 where we will dive deeper into microgrids and solar energy.

One of the feasibility studies will focus on identifying and analysing successful examples of microgrids and island systems in developing countries and countries where LIFE Academy has cooperating partners. The idea is to exchange knowledge and learn from experiences in other countries to understand which solutions would be suitable for Värmland.

The other feasibility study will map local needs and develop advanced training programmes in solar energy, island systems and energy storage solutions in order to meet the increased demand for skilled labour in Värmland following the coming systemic changes. The study will lead to proposals for education that will solve the problem of skills shortage in solar energy by developing training programmes that meets both the demands of the labour market and the challenges from climate change.

We look forward to reaching out to cooperating partners and alumni in our network to share knowledge and learn from each other!