The Faculty of Environmental Protection invites you to participate in a training program to become a specialist in the sustainable spatial planning of renewable energy sources (RES), which will take place as part of the SAŠA Academy for a Just Transition. Organized by the SAŠA Development Agency, the Academy offers training and expert support to individuals, communities, and businesses in the SAŠA region. The Just Transition Centre, part of the Academy, is fully funded by technical assistance from the Just Transition Fund.
The SAŠA Just Transition Academy is designed to spread new knowledge, promote the development of new industries, and create quality jobs. It helps adapt to changes in the region’s energy and economic structure and promotes a sustainable and more resilient future.
What do you gain?
The training provides specific knowledge for the legally compliant and sustainable integration of RES into the environment. Upon successful completion of the programme, participants receive a certificate as an “Expert in the sustainable integration of RES into the environment”. The programme is designed to train experts who will be able to:
Prepare the basis for a preliminary environmental impact assessment;
Conduct impact assessments and prepare reports;
Design projects for placing objects in space.
Who is the training intended for?
The training is intended for first-cycle graduates in the fields of civil engineering, geodesy, architecture, landscape architecture, geography, environmental protection, law, and related sciences. Graduates of higher education with at least three years of work experience in the field of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency may also apply. Preference will be given to candidates from the SAŠA region or those who plan to develop their business in the region.
When?
- Date: Tuesday, 16 September 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
- Date: Wednesday, 17 September 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Date: Thursday, 18 September 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where?
Faculty of Environmental Protection (Trg mladosti 7, 3320 Velenje); Large lecture hall, 1st floor
Scope of the programme:
The training programme will consist of three sessions comprising theoretical and practical work. The length of each session will vary, but the training will comprise a total of 20 training hours.
Content of the programme:
- Module: Fundamentals of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources
- Module: Construction and Spatial Planning Legislation and Building Placement in Space
- Module: EU Policy, EU Funds, and Project Management
- Module: Environmental Interventions and Environmental Impact Assessment (SLO legislation, climate proofing, and DNSH principles)
Lecturers:
Senior Lecturer Klemen Kotnik
He is a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Environmental Protection and teaches Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Communication at the undergraduate level. He also provides informal education to pupils, secondary school students, and university students, and mentors undergraduate students. He also gives guest lectures on demography and ecology and leads workshops at research camps for gifted secondary school students. For several years, he was a project manager, lecturer, and researcher in the fields of the environment and society at the former ERICo Institute for Ecological Research in Velenje, where he was also assistant head of the “Environmental Studies and Education” department and head of the “Ecological and Environmental Research” department.
Associate Professor Dr. Željko Vukelič
He is an associate professor at the Faculty of Environmental Protection and the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering at the University of Ljubljana, where he lectures at the Department of Geotechnology, Mining, and the Environment. He teaches undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral courses in Mechanical Engineering Fundamentals, Geothermal Energy, Energy Policy, Geothermal Energy Utilisation, Exploratory Drilling, and Machines and Equipment in Geotechnology. At FVO, he teaches courses on Rational Use of Energy, Energy Sources and the Environment, and Energy-Efficient Construction. He is the author and co-author of more than 100 scientific and professional articles and several textbooks. He has successfully completed more than 20 projects, studies, and investment programmes in the mining industry. He is a member of the Management Board of the Institute of Mining, Geotechnology and the Environment. He is the president of the parent section of miners and geotechnologists and the IZS Education Commission, and a member of many international organisations.
Peter Meža
He is a product and project management expert with 25 years of experience in international corporations (Hisense, Danfoss, Landis+Gyr) and more than 20 years of activity in the field of education, consulting, and research. He is the author of numerous professional and scientific articles, a member of the ZPM, IPMA, and ICEC, and an active lecturer and reviewer. His key competencies include product management, project management, strategic planning, and change management. He is the head of sections at scientific conferences and reviews scientific journals. At the Faculty of Environmental Protection, he teaches the course Project Planning and Management.
Doc. Peter Frantar, PhD
He teaches Climate Change at the Faculty of Environmental Protection and is an expert with many years of experience in the field of water and the environment. His research and professional work focuses on understanding and managing the impact of society on water resources and broader environmental changes. He is employed at the Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO), where he is the head of the Department of Hydrogeological Analysis and Modelling. As part of this work, he is involved in the development of hydrogeological models, the assessment of groundwater status, and the creation of expert bases for water resource management. In addition to his research and professional work, he is also actively involved in education and public awareness, particularly within the framework of the Association of Geographers of Slovenia and ARSO, where he coordinates and implements various activities related to the prevention of risks due to high water levels.
Senka Šifkovič, M.A., university graduate lawyer
She is an experienced environmental lawyer at PIC – Legal Centre for Human Rights and the Environment, where she has been working for more than 25 years. During her rich career, she has specialised in the fields of environmental protection, spatial planning and nature conservation, monitoring and helping to shape their systemic regulation at international, European and national level. Her work includes analysing social and environmental problems and drafting proposals for improving policies and legislation, thereby contributing to sustainable solutions and greater legal certainty in the field of the environment. In addition, she provides legal advice on specific environmental cases, so her lectures offer participants valuable insight into current challenges and solutions at the intersection of law, politics, and the environment.
Ana Kočar, M.A. in Business Sciences
She has been actively involved in spatial planning for more than 25 years, participating in the preparation and management of procedures for the adoption of municipal spatial acts in numerous municipalities, including Litija, Mozirje, Slovenske Konjice, Solčava, Šmartno ob Paki, Velenje, Vitanje, and Zreče. Her work is based on extensive practical experience with municipal spatial plans, detailed spatial plans, environmental reports, and the preparation of expert bases for spatial acts. She also places special emphasis on the use of geographic information systems in spatial planning. She is employed as the head of the inter-municipal environmental protection service at the Joint Municipal Administration of the SAŠA Region.
Applications
Register using the online form: Registration Form
Space is limited, so please register as soon as possible. We will accept registrations until all spots are filled. Cancellations are accepted up to seven days before the start of the training.