Lukas Vogel: Final Report for Training Placement at the Centre for ...

Lukas VOGEL
Biedermanngasse 11/1/7
Austria - 1120 Vienna
Phone: +43 / 699 / 10 67 29 87
e-mail: lukas.vogel@gmx.at
Exeter, 16/07/04
Lukas Vogel: Final Report for Training Placement at the Centre for Energy and the
Environment at the University of Exeter
I am a student at the Fachhochschule Pinkafeld (University of Applied Science, degree
programme: Building Technology and Management) in Austria. Having studied for three
years in Pinkafeld, I spent my final year working in an international corporate environment at
the Centre for Energy and the Environment (CEE) at the University of Exeter in England. The
main details of this placement are summarised in the following final report.
The Fachhochschulstudiengänge Pinkafeld (FH Pinkafeld) was one of the first Universities
of Applied Science in Austria and was founded in 1996 with its first degree programme
“Building Technology and Management” (BTM). Since then the University has expanded
gradually to its present size with three different degree programmes, over 30 full time
members of staff, around 60 part time lecturers and approximately 400 students. The other
two programmes at the university are “Energy and Environmental Management” and “Health
Management and Promotion”.
The BTM course lasts for four years and ends with the final exam for a “Diplomingenieur
(FH)”. It cannot be compared with an English degree since Austria and England have
different educational systems and the level achieved by graduates is between a BSc- and a
MSc-degree. As a result of the many projects which build up the degree programme at the
university in Austria as well as an obligatory term of work practice, graduates of the
University of Pinkafeld are very much in demand.
The CEE was founded in 1977 to provide scientific support for local authorities in the
Southwest of England, in their analysis of energy and issues relating to the environment. It is
a part of the South West Energy and Environment Group (SWEEG). The SWEEG exists to
provide technical advice to its members in the fields of sustainable building, waste and water
management, building acoustics, noise pollution and other environmental issues. The CEE
team has particular expertise in computer-based mathematical modelling, electronic data
logging and acoustic measurement. Based in the Physics Department at the University of
Exeter, the centre employs a team of seven full time research scientists.
Recent activities have included:-
- Air quality assessments for Exeter City Council,
- Development of a sustainable building strategy for the local authorities,
- Design advice for ‘Classroom of the Future’ projects in Devon,
- Monitoring of wood-chip heating plants,
- Acoustic and thermal design advice for school building and refurbishment projects.
There is considerable emphasis laid on further education for staff members and students and
therefore I had the opportunity to attend a seminar on indoor air quality and natural ventilation
in addition to a three-day course on renewable energy during my stay at the CEE. The CEE
always welcomes students who need to complete practical training for their course and want
to gain new experiences in the field of research, energy and the environment. Postgraduates
are also welcome to work at the CEE. For this reason, several students - including one from

Lukas VOGEL
Biedermanngasse 11/1/7
Austria - 1120 Vienna
Phone: +43 / 699 / 10 67 29 87
e-mail: lukas.vogel@gmx.at
the FH Pinkafeld - have already been working for some weeks or months at the University of
Exeter.
During the last eleven months, I have worked on different projects all related to energy and
the environment, particularly on energy use in buildings. Some other projects concerned the
improvements in the acoustic environment of schools. Described below are a few projects
recently undertaken by the CEE.
The ‘Classrooms of the Future’ initiative aimed at challenging current thinking on school
building design. The CEE was involved in the technical planning of one classroom and is now
responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of some of the classrooms.
The project ‘Utilising Renewable Energy Schemes to achieve more Sustainable Buildings’
aimed to assess small renewable energy schemes applicable to individual buildings or
complexes, which concentrated specifically on designs available in the United Kingdom.
Enquiries had been made into the availability, costs and estimated periods of payback for the
different systems, as well as into the possibility of acquiring government grants for certain
systems.
‘Solar Heat Gains and Daylight Factors – An Analysis of Effective Shading Techniques’
was another project recently undertaken by the CEE. A computer program was written to
assist in the calculation of solar heat gains and daylight factors for window openings in
buildings. This project was part of my diploma thesis, which is to be finished this summer.
‘Acoustic Calculations according to BB93’: New guidelines on acoustics in educational
buildings were published during the last year, which is why the acoustic software - developed
and written by the CEE to make calculations easier and quicker - had to be adapted.
In addition to the projects mentioned above, a considerable number of smaller projects have
been handled during the last year. Amongst other things, these jobs related to the topics of ‘air
quality’ and ‘wood heating’.
My main responsibilities within these projects were for research, calculations,
programming, and report writing. The wide-ranging basic education in the field of building
technology and management at the FH Pinkafeld was the most useful part applicable to the
work during the period of practical training. This acquired knowledge was relevant for all
projects which have been dealt with during the last few months. This basic education also
provided instruction on how to make technical considerations, which was necessary to work
in an institution like the CEE.
As part of my preparations for the year abroad, I consulted the staff via e-mail about their
jobs, the CEE and the University of Exeter. Beyond that, I asked the other Austrian student,
who had already worked at the CEE, about his experiences and I used the Internet to research
the University, Exeter and Devon further.
The English seminars at FH Pinkafeld which I had attended before I went to Exeter helped
to improve both written and spoken English and made it possible to work in England for the
period of practical training. Due to some exams in mid July last summer, I wasn’t able to
attend an extra English course as part of my preparations before departure. This course would
have helped me to increase confidence in my language capabilities in the first few weeks of
my stay abroad. During the course of my stay in Exeter, I have attended a free English course
at the University of Exeter which was offered to foreign students. This helped me to improve
my English grammar, which had a knock-on effect on the quality of my report writing.

Lukas VOGEL
Biedermanngasse 11/1/7
Austria - 1120 Vienna
Phone: +43 / 699 / 10 67 29 87
e-mail: lukas.vogel@gmx.at
The opportunity to work facilitated the use and application of the specialist knowledge I had
acquired during my studies at the FH Pinkafeld. It allowed me to gain an insight into the field
of research, technological development and applied building technology and management,
and raised self-confidence. I have acquired new knowledge of state-of-the-art technologies in
the renewable energy sector and have increased my general understanding in this area, which
will benefit me in the future. Working in a group which was small, friendly and supportive
helped me to improve my team skills. This year has also raised my employability. The
improved language skills - especially new words and phrases but also grammar and
confidence - will help me to acquire a job in an international corporate environment.
As mentioned above, this placement was part of my studies at the FH Pinkafeld. The
University in Austria and the CEE helped me to gain as many new experiences as possible. I
have also started work on my diploma thesis, which I must submit this summer. My
supervisor in Exeter as well as my professor in Pinkafeld have supported me in every possible
way to make the most out of my stay abroad. Beyond that, I will receive a letter confirming
my work placement, which may be beneficial when looking for a job in the future.
The practical training made it possible to increase my professional responsibility, linguistic
competence, to gain an insight into the field of research and technological development and to
use and apply the specialized knowledge, which I had acquired throughout my studies at the
FH Pinkafeld. It was indeed useful to learn more about various applications of ‘Building
Technology and Management’.
On a personal level, the responsibilities for the success of different projects built up my selfconfidence
in these disciplines. The experience gained whilst working as a student
representative in Austria made it more easy to cope with these responsibilities.
I have learnt a lot about the English culture, have improved my language skills and have
also made new friends outside of work.
I have not faced any major problems whilst working in England and the minor ones were
solved easily. The Leonardo da Vinci II Programme was on the whole well organized. My
only suggestion for improvement would concern the application process, which was altered in
last summer. Therefore I had to apply for a second time and I had not received the letter
confirming funding from the Leonardo scheme before my departure. Such uncertainty was
rather stressful and represented a negative factor of my preparations for the year abroad. The
late notice (and therefore late first payment) also had consequences for my financial situation
in the weeks which followed, meaning I had to borrow some money from friends.
I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me throughout my
preparations for the year abroad and during the year itself. It wouldn’t have been possible for
me to experience a year at the CEE without the funding from the Leonardo da Vinci scheme
and the support of my family, friends, colleagues, supervisors and the others responsible at
each of the Universities.