> Training

An initial public consultation meeting was held in April 2004. More than 35 inhabitants representing a vast range of socio-economic activities and all regions of the island attended. The first part of the meeting was dedicated to an information session during which the key elements of the project were made known, emphasising the importance of the project to the development of the island and the key role to be played by the inhabitants. During the second part of the meeting, the participants were invited to work in small groups and express their views on the project. This approach brought to the forefront any issues that could hamper or facilitate the development of the project and permitted the exchange of opinions, ideas and initiatives to improve the different programmes related to the project. 

Training is also an important part of the project and aims at ensuring the adaptation of the population to new technologies and organisational structures and at preparing the islander to be responsible for the maintenance of the systems. For instance, regarding photovoltaic systems or the solar thermal collectors, it is important to create a network of local professionals who will be able to fix and maintain the installation and provide a high-quality after-sale service. To facilitate this, several training sessions dedicated to electricians (PV) and plumbers (solar thermal ) are to be organized. The first ones took place in March 2005 and tackled theoretical and practical aspects of solar thermal systems and photovoltaic technology.