Efficient training on sustainable energy must be orientated on developing the knowledge and the skills of the future researchers, producers, market actors and consumers. Therefore, the training programs are product-orientated and are targeting the development of entrepreneurial skills of the beneficiaries. For fulfilling these educational objectives in a domain that has a fast dynamics not only in innovation but also at invention level, research is necessary to be a permanent support.

The training line developed in the university covers the undergraduate level, M. Sc and doctoral activities. Modules on RES and Energy Management are implemented in the second cycle of the engineering curricula in the Faculties of Technological Engineering, Mechanics and Material Science and a five years undergraduate full course is developed (in the Faculty of Material Sciences and Engineering) on Environment Engineering. Many students in the final years are working for their Diploma Work in research projects on sustainable energy, either in the Transilvania University or in European universities in students’ exchange programs (Socrates/Erasmus, Leonardo, [6]) in Denmark (Horsens), Germany (FH Aachen), the Netherlands (TU Delft, Utrecht), Spain (Zaragoza and Valencia), Greece (TEI Crete, Athens), etc.

A three semester M. Sc. Course, Design and Management of the Renewable Energy Systems is running in English, starting with 2003 and the seven course curricula is delivered by teaching staff from the Transilvania University and from abroad. Based on the collaboration with the European partners who have similar courses, the curriculum is improved and adapted to the needs and trends identified by the entire consortium. The success of this course represents a model, followed by another proposal for a M. Sc. course, eLab, who involves modules on Sustainable (Bio)Chemical Processes.

The formal training at academic level is not able to provide in-time answers to all the training needs identified: the segment before the university (mainly the high school level)
consist of the members of the future society who will live and act according to the principles and musts of the sustainable development and starting to train them as early as possible is part of o sustainable education strategy. In order to have training providers at this level, an in-service training program was promoted in the Center and submitted for evaluation in the frame of the Comenius/Socrates programme; the SEE — COMTOOL project (SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION — A COMPLEX TRAINING TOOL), addresses to teachers of physics, chemistry, technology, etc. at the pre-university level, who are willing to include modules/chapters or a complete curricula in their class activity.

The other segments of the informal training is related to the members of the society seeking for knowledge and information on RES for purposes related to the insertion in the working market and development of new economical units in order to fill a gap, sensed between the offer and demand in this domain. Adults education in the paradigm of lifelong learning covers also projects for rising the awareness of population and for training key factors and decision makers able to shape the future in full knowledge of the demands and possibilities. Two Leonardo da Vinci projects are granted and support this orientation: a pilot project (RES&EM ICT Tools) aiming to develop the adults learning training frame (including the training tools and the experimental basis) and a teaching staff mobility project (ECO-RES&EM) designed to offer the possibility of gaining European experience in training and to harmonize, at transnational level, the content of the delivered modules, [7]. These projects are meant to provide complex information and knowledge on different levels of complexity, orientated for different groups of interest, on the most important chapters identified, related to the renewable energy systems for a better environment management, [8, 9], Fig. 4.

The human resources in the Centre for Sustainable Development involving professors — head of the laboratories — and younger members are able to provide training and education at a good level because they continuously integrate the didactic activity with the research and the groups are including undergraduate, M. Sc. and Ph. D. students.

Seven Ph. D. projects are running at the moment in the Centre, in complementary themes involving mechanical engineers, physicists and chemists. Research for products’ development are carried out from the materials synthesis, characterization and production till the mechanical details of the devices:

One group is working on projects related to the development of nanostructurated layers for renewable energy systems: for solid state PV cells, for developing photo-catalysts for hydrogen production, for the organic pollutants degradation and for developing an automatic spray deposition installation for thin layers.

Another group is working on investigating the fundamentals and technology for developing composites based on recycled rubber and plastics.

Finally, the last group is investigating mechanical systems applied in the development and optimization of the renewable energy systems: tracking systems for solar sensors (pyranometers) and for solar panels (collectors and photovoltaic cells).

The projects are financed through national grants or are part of research agreements between the Centre and European bodies (universities, companies).

The Centre starts to build, this year a location where most of the laboratories will be gathered. The building, Fig. 5, designed respecting the principles of passive solar design in terms of architecture and building materials will include monitoring systems of the climatic parameters (solar energy, wind, temperature, humidity) and — on the roofs — will be provided with state-of art RES (silicon PVs and solar collectors) for technological studies.

Fig. 5 The Solar House

The new location of the Centre for Sustainable Development