In Trelew, Chubut, the students from the local Technical School have installed a new wind-solar hybrid system, capable of providing opportunity for energy self-sufficiency in the rural community.
Training the Trainers – Advancing Renewable Energy in Argentina
From March 10 to 12, 2025, the YouthEnergy project hosted a series of engaging workshops in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Participants explored key topics shaping the future of the energy transition, including renewable energy, green hydrogen, and wind power.
The first session focused on the role of experimental activities in education, led by Monica Faigelbaum, Ethel Parietti and Maria Antonella Cerutti. With the aim to equip educators with practical strategies for integrating experiments into the classroom, the training session focused on identifying challenges in hands-on learning and exploring effective solutions.
For this purpose, three activities were conducted. The first, focused on the pedagogical aspect, encouraged participants to analyze three classroom case studies, fostering discussion on different teaching dynamics and best practices. The second, with a more hands-on approach, engaged participants in an experiment using electrical wires. By measuring the electrical conductivity of various foods to illuminate a small light bulb, they gained insights into the concept of “electrical potential difference”.
Finally, the last activity was conducted in small groups, where participants used post-it notes to design curriculum plans incorporating the experimental approaches.
At the end of the day, the facilitators assisted the trainers in selecting teachers for the training, prioritizing those specializing in biology, physics, and chemistry. They also collaboratively developed a follow-up survey to assess the training’s impact over the year.
The second day of the training opened with a brief theoretical introduction to green hydrogen by Rafael Gagliardi, setting the stage for a hands-on project: constructing a green hydrogen system from scratch. Each team received the “Green Hydrogen Energy Systems Handbook”, developed by the YouthEnergy team, along with a kit containing all necessary materials. Following the step-by-step instructions, the participants successfully assembled their own green hydrogen cell.
Building on this experience, the third day expanded the focus on green hydrogen and wind energy. The trainers conducted a series of experiments with the green hydrogen kit built the previous day, testing its functionality, exploring potential applications and identifying imitations. This hands-on approach deepened their understanding of the hydrogen kit.
To reinforce theoretical concepts, Rafael Gagliardi led a session on key calculations related to hydrogen energy efficiency and performance. These exercises provided participants with a quantitative perspective on the potential of the hydrogen system. The training concluded with the final construction of the small wind turbine they had started the day before. As with the green hydrogen cells, this allowed participants to test the turbines functionality, explore possible applications and identify limitations.
