Sotavento offers groups the opportunity to take part in a specialised wind energy training activity delivered by qualified technical staff. In addition to a visit to the control room and the Energy Workshop, this activity also includes the possibility of visiting the park substation and climbing a wind turbine.
For further information and to check prices, please contact Sotavento’s Visit Management department.
The SATMA project is a training tool in wind turbine maintenance techniques, developed by the recipients of an award for the development of technological or scientific innovation projects and teaching innovation projects in the field of Vocational Training in public centres under the Regional Ministry of Culture, Education and University Planning of the Xunta de Galicia during 2015.
The project was coordinated by teaching staff from the Energy and Water Department of IES Universidad Laboral, with the collaboration of Engasoft, S.L. and the Sotavento Experimental Wind Farm.
This activity carried out by the Sotavento Galicia Foundation is a training initiative consisting of organising and implementing a series of courses aimed at making more rational use of our vehicles. The educational action seeks to promote a new style of driving for passenger cars, achieving average reductions in fuel consumption of up to 15% compared to conventional driving, while also improving road safety and comfort.
This initiative forms part of the measures for more efficient use of means of transport in the 2008–2012 Action Plan of Spain’s Energy Saving and Efficiency Strategy (E4), channelled by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) through the Galician Energy Institute (INEGA).
According to IDAE, if all drivers used economical driving techniques, 2.555 billion litres of fuel would be saved in our country, which would mean that 2.6 million cars could drive for free and €2.134 billion would be saved each year (an average of €136 per driver).
To this must be added the enormous environmental benefits that efficient driving can bring, achieving a reduction in CO2 emissions of 6.3 million tonnes, equivalent to planting 48 million trees in Spain, i.e., 20% of the surface area of the province of Pontevedra. Added to this is the serious problem of noise pollution: the noise produced by a car at 4,000 rpm is equivalent to that of 32 vehicles at 2,000 rpm.
If we analyse the data from the more than 600 theory-and-practical courses delivered by the Sotavento Galicia Foundation in the 2010 campaign, the following results were obtained:
- Participants—58% men and 42% women—confirmed that reducing consumption does not increase travel time; on the contrary, travel time is reduced while the likelihood of having an accident is minimised by between 10% and 25%.
- The average fuel saving, compared to participants’ usual driving, was 16.3% (1.6 L/100 km), a figure that exceeds by 1.3% the average theoretical saving that IDAE expected to achieve with this type of action, set at 15%.
- This type of driving, calculated for an average of 16,000 km per year, will mean an annual saving per person of around €235 with a petrol car and around €174 with a diesel car.
OBJECTIVES:
The objective of these courses is to promote more rational use of the vehicle and to offer a new driving style to encourage a change in attitude among users.
COURSE FEATURES:
The course is aimed at all drivers interested in driving efficiently and economically. It lasts around two hours and offers theory-and-practical content.
They will take place on an urban route of approximately 5 to 7 km that includes most of the elements representative of city traffic (junctions, traffic lights, squares, roundabouts, two-way streets, uphill and downhill gradients, etc.), where applying one technique or another leads to differences in consumption.
The course will be delivered by expert instructors who will explain driving techniques to make the most of the energy efficiency of today’s vehicles. Students will have the opportunity to compare the impact of efficient driving techniques on fuel consumption through a practical test before and after the theory session. The vehicle for the practical sessions will be provided by the Sotavento Galicia Foundation.
The maximum number of students per vehicle will be four. The driving rounds will be carried out by each of the four students in the group, with an approximate duration of 15 minutes per person. The course is completed with the provision of support material, including an efficient driving manual and an information leaflet explaining the main criteria and advantages of efficient driving, as well as a certificate of participation.
The Sotavento Galicia Foundation is responsible for delivering these courses in the Province of Lugo, and they are completely free of charge.
MANAGEMENT:
The 2010–2011 Efficient Driving Courses campaign has ended. We will provide full information on the start of new campaigns.