Poster: Smart Applications for Raising Awareness of Young Citizens Towards Using Renewable Energy Sources and Increasing Energy Efficiency in the Local Community

Sustainable use of energy and raising public awareness related to this issue is one of the most important priorities of the local communities all over Europe. Cities are consuming 80% of energy in the world, that is why focus on promoting and investing in energy efficiency (EE) of the city, investing in renewable energy sources (RES) and smart management solutions are essential for the sustainable development of smart cities. There is often a low level of awareness about measures for rational use of energy and energy efficiency among citizens in local communities, given the low energy efficiency in the production, distribution and consumption of energy in all sectors. Education and raising awareness of young citizens, therefore, play a key role in understanding why it is necessary to act locally and what can be done by individuals. In this context, this paper presents planned research activities related to raising awareness and positive attitudes among young citizens towards using RES and increasing EE in the local community within the scientific and technological cooperation between the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Čačak, University of Kragujevac in Serbia and the School of Engineering and IT, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences in Austria. Smart applications that can be used for raising awareness of young citizens towards using RES and increasing EE in the local community, such as online experiments (remote and virtual) with learning outcomes related to RES and EE and online monitoring of energy consumption and RES potential in the local community, are described in this paper. Also, developing of an innovative web-based platform targeted for improving energy efficiency and possibilities of using RES through consumer understanding, engagement and behavioral changes, which would be of use to the local authority in the energy sector, is proposed.