Renewable energies in South Tyrol

First, the students on the Management of Renewable Energies degree programme travelled with Prof. Dr Peter Zerle and his colleague Franziska Kreuter to the Fuchstal wind farm in the Allgäu region. There, the students saw a wind turbine from the inside and the pilot plant for bird monitoring for birds of prey. Afterwards, they were impressed by the company Baufritz, which has specialised in the construction of eco-friendly prefabricated timber houses for decades. The tour of the production facility was met with great interest. The show homes, ranging from detached houses to ship-shaped luxury villas with a sauna, wine cellar and private bar, also impressed the participants on the final trip.

TerraXCube, Mount Everest and the Riva del Garda hydroelectric power station

The visit to Bolzano included a guided tour of the Eurac Research Campus, a private research centre. Heat network laboratories, PV test areas and the TerraXCube were presented. The latter simulates climate zones ranging from African deserts to Mount Everest. A day trip to Lake Garda and the stunning Riva del Garda hydroelectric power plant, built in the 1920s, via a visitor trail showed how water is transformed into clean energy. The exhibition not only shows the appendix in full operation, but also tells the story of the history and development of hydropower.

The culinary delights of Italy and South Tyrol included

In order not to neglect the culinary delights, the group visited a Demeter winery: organic viticulture in a beautiful courtyard, surrounded by vines and with a tasting of the wide range of wines. The official excursion points complemented the leisure activities well. The participants mostly spent these in groups to explore the villages. They savoured South Tyrolean and Italian cuisine, coffees and aperitifs. There was also a short hike, a boat trip on Lake Garda and games evenings together at the hotel, which everyone enjoyed and strengthened the sense of community.

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