A (wet) Energy2-event with Siemens Wind Power

Teamwork in rainy weather, go-kart racing and boiled pasta. Those were some of the challenges faced by Siemens’ Development Engineers last week at the opening company event with Lokalenergi and ActionZone.

To combine the energy in a team with “energy efficiency and environmental consciousness” was the main idea behind the event Energy2 (Energy squared) developed by Lokalenergi and ActionZone, which took place in Tørring. On this event, 45 engineers from Siemens Wind Power Development sector competed against each other in teams and discussed energy-saving solutions.

An energy-message combined with teambuilding activities

Lokalenergi and ActionZone designed an activity program for Siemens Wind Power that combined climate and energy issues with teambuilding activities in a fun and motivating way. Here, the engineers were both physically and intellectually challenged.

A selected number of outdoor exercises with 4x4 jeeps, mountain bikes, ropes, saws and tree trunks took the energy issues beyond the conventional. The exercises made the participants work together as a team, compelling them to build trust, confidence and communication among them, in order to achieve the intended goals. Additionally, the exercises required that the participants would use both their logics and creativity to estimate the energy consumption and energy-savings throughout the activity program.
The engineers were extremely creative and inventive at the cooking activity with consultant Lisbet Stryhn Rasmussen from Lokalenergi. Being told to cook pasta and boil four eggs by using the less energy possible, the engineers came up with innovative and very systematic ideas that revolutionized all traditional cooking. Likewise, they suggested original energy-saving alternatives to reduce the CO2 emissions at the centre of ActionZone. One of the participants, engineer Toni Subroto, says: «This event is a very interesting approach to make us think in alternative ways. Sometimes a good idea occurred to us too late. And then it annoyed me that we didn’t think of that idea before».
 

The weather was no impediment for a fun event

The participants and instructors from ActionZone had to deal with heavy rain during the whole outdoor event. Fortunately, the professional instructors from ActionZone managed to motivate and inspire the participants by shouting out loud: «Let’s forget about the rain and let’s find the energy in the team!»
Instructor and course leader in ActionZone, Philip Gudbjerg, explains: «The important thing, when the weather is against us, is to keep the enthusiasm high and maintain a positive spirit».

In this way, despite the rain and the cold, the participants expressed satisfaction at the end of the event. «It was a great experience, even though the weather conditions were bad! In fact, the rain didn’t bother me at all. On the contrary, it made me fight even harder», says engineer Toni Subroto.
 

More Energi²

The participants and instructors from ActionZone had to deal with heavy rain during the whole outdoor event. Fortunately, the professional instructors from ActionZone managed to motivate and inspire the participants by shouting out loud: «Let’s forget about the rain and let’s find the energy in the team!»

Instructor and course leader in ActionZone, Philip Gudbjerg, explains: «The important thing, when the weather is against us, is to keep the enthusiasm high and maintain a positive spirit».

In this way, despite the rain and the cold, the participants expressed satisfaction at the end of the event. «It was a great experience, even though the weather conditions were bad! In fact, the rain didn’t bother me at all. On the contrary, it made me fight even harder», says engineer Toni Subroto.

An Energi²-event can last from 3-4 hours to 1-2 days and it can take place at ActionZone in Tørring or at the company.
 

The following activities marked the event:

• “CO2 questionnaire”: The participants answer 13 questions on CO2 and energy-use.
• Energy in the height: The higher the participants climb up the tall Columbus ladder, as they collaborate, the more wind power the team will produce.
• The ice-cube: An “icebreaker” that provides a picture of the global warming effects. The participants calculate how much an isolated ice-cube melts compared to an ice-cube in normal room temperature.
• CO2 bombs: The participants help ActionZone to identify and eliminate the areas of the centre that unleash the most CO2
• The climate king: The team must use their energy wisely as they saw a seat out of a tree trunk, and carry a team member around on it.
• The climate queen: Each team has to acknowledge the most energy efficient way to cook 4 eggs and 150 gr. pasta in 25 min.
• Eco-race: Car or bicycle? Which one is the fastest in city traffic? This activity challenges the participants’ driving skills in 4x4 jeeps and on mountain bikes
• Fuel go-kart: The big award! The more energy the team is able to save on the activities, the more fuel the team gets to drive on

For more details about Energy2-events, visit www.lokalenergi.dk and www.actionzone.dk or contact Lisbet Stryhn Rasmussen on phone nr.+45 5117 6175