2014-07-22
Buildings’ engineering specialists will help to reduce energy costs
Currently, the buildings in the European countries consume about forty per cent of the total energy produced. Forecasting the real estate sector’s development, such energy expenditure can become an unbearable burden for the energetics of the region. Therefore, the Council of the European Union (EU) has set a target till 2020 to reduce the amount of energy consumption in the EU by twenty per cent. In order to achieve the stated objectives and encourage the emergence of green building ideas, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) will start to prepare professionals, understanding the importance of energy efficiency of buildings, other technical and economic parameters, affecting the energy consumption, and the quality of the human environment. A new Bachelor's degree study program of buildings’ engineering management will be soon established at VGTU.
Lithuania needs such professionals’ knowledge not only for the construction of new buildings, but also for the promotion of the processes of apartment blocks’ modernization. In Lithuania, by 2020, it is planned to modernize up to twenty four thousand apartment blocks and to insulate six thousands public buildings. This requires theoretical knowledge not only in building engineering, but also in construction engineering as well as good practical skills and competence in design and construction. So, the students will learn not only from the scientists, who will present the latest trends in buildings engineering, but also from the social partners – the biggest Lithuanian building companies from the National Passive House Association and the Housing Management and Maintenance Palace, uniting the owners of apartment blocks, houses and other buildings. The program is designed to develop professionals, who will contribute to the implementation of the objectives of the State and the European Union: developing the real estate sector, to focus on energy consumption and its reduction.
"We have not been preparing specialists of such qualification in Lithuania until now, so the labor market needs them. Employers miss professionals with technical, engineering, buildings’ energy efficiency, management and business knowledge, required for buildings’ professional supervision or updating", - said Jolanta Tamošaitienė, Vice-Dean of Faculty of Civil Engineering at VGTU.
Students, who studied about advanced building materials, structures and sustainable life-cycles of buildings, effective resource and energy recovery systems, technologies and energy supply, will be able to work at various international and state construction and energy supervision enterprises. They will be able to apply computer technology in solving complex problems of buildings’ maintenance, management, organization and planning. The professionals of buildings’ engineering management are trained at the outstanding higher schools in the United States, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In Lithuania, the buildings’ engineering management professionals have not been educated so far.
Lithuania needs such professionals’ knowledge not only for the construction of new buildings, but also for the promotion of the processes of apartment blocks’ modernization. In Lithuania, by 2020, it is planned to modernize up to twenty four thousand apartment blocks and to insulate six thousands public buildings. This requires theoretical knowledge not only in building engineering, but also in construction engineering as well as good practical skills and competence in design and construction. So, the students will learn not only from the scientists, who will present the latest trends in buildings engineering, but also from the social partners – the biggest Lithuanian building companies from the National Passive House Association and the Housing Management and Maintenance Palace, uniting the owners of apartment blocks, houses and other buildings. The program is designed to develop professionals, who will contribute to the implementation of the objectives of the State and the European Union: developing the real estate sector, to focus on energy consumption and its reduction.
"We have not been preparing specialists of such qualification in Lithuania until now, so the labor market needs them. Employers miss professionals with technical, engineering, buildings’ energy efficiency, management and business knowledge, required for buildings’ professional supervision or updating", - said Jolanta Tamošaitienė, Vice-Dean of Faculty of Civil Engineering at VGTU.
Students, who studied about advanced building materials, structures and sustainable life-cycles of buildings, effective resource and energy recovery systems, technologies and energy supply, will be able to work at various international and state construction and energy supervision enterprises. They will be able to apply computer technology in solving complex problems of buildings’ maintenance, management, organization and planning. The professionals of buildings’ engineering management are trained at the outstanding higher schools in the United States, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In Lithuania, the buildings’ engineering management professionals have not been educated so far.