This profession was prestigious during the Soviet era: the students competed to the best of their ability, and the skills were equated with medicine.

The energy profession was considered prestigious for many years, during the Soviet era it was even believed that “only thanks to energy will the whole of Lithuania, including the villages, be illuminated and heated”, the students rushed to the then Kaunas Polytechnic Institute (now Kaunas University of Technology). To the medicine that has never been lacking.

Meanwhile, today, the choice of the energy path is tempted by a wide range of applications of knowledge: not only the profession, but also the concept of energy itself is gradually changing, including more and more additional competencies. writes the press release.

“The energy profession can be called cellular – it often requires a lot of engineering, technology, IT, legal knowledge, includes electricians, locksmiths and robot developers – the boundaries between the different sectors today are very blurred. Therefore, the capacity to see more broadly, to look not only in the front, but also to look to the sides, is an increasingly valued characteristic of professionals: professions are gradually being replaced by existing competencies ”, says Živilė Skibarkienė, Director and Member of the Board of Grupo Ignitis.

April 17 is important not only for energy professionals themselves, it is an opportunity for everyone to remember the important mission of the profession and the sector as a whole: smart energy solutions have long been an integral part of our daily life.

“It just came to our knowledge then. We often don’t think about it, but we probably wouldn’t take a step, it’s very important,” says Vilius Šaduikis, energy historian with more than 60 years of energy experience and president of the Lithuanian Senior Club. of Energy.

The traditions of the festival date back to the time of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

According to him, the idea of ​​having your own professional energy vacation has been maturing since 1992; So they thought it would be great to give it meaningful meaning on April 17 in connection with the then-mentioned 100th anniversary of the first light bulb. in Rietavas. Until then, in Soviet times, December 22 was celebrated as Energy Day, which marked the GOELRO plan approved that day in the 1920s.

According to the historian, there were even earlier meanings of this occasion even in the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, when the energy company held a professional party together with firefighters, blacksmiths, bakers, metallurgists; It was then celebrated on May 4 on St. Florian’s Day.

“An interesting detail: in 1898, when approving the project of the power station, the Vilnius City Duma also approved another decision, an estimate was made to commemorate the firefighter’s day, which includes 2 pots of meat, 1 pint of bread, 4 buckets of beer and 2 buckets of vodka and 40 eggs, says V. Šaduikis.

This celebration was also not forgotten in interwar Lithuania; later, the city’s fire brigades had their own bagpipe orchestras, festive parades and theatrical performances were organized in the streets.

And although similar occasions were shelved in the postwar years, beginning on December 22, 1966, energy companies gathered to commemorate the annual Energy Day.

As technology changes, more sustainable solutions are sought

V. Šaduikis assures that the energy path that lasted almost 130 years in Lithuania was not easy, but today we can enjoy impressive achievements: liquefied gas terminal, connections with Sweden, Poland, integrated gas economy, use of biofuels, energy development solar and wind.

Over the years, the energy itself is transforming: cables and pipes are being replaced by solar panels, winds, hydrogen technologies, electric cars: solid infrastructure is becoming more modern, smarter and more sustainable .

“That transformation is very rewarding: More and more different IT solutions are emerging, more and more young people see the energy sector as an attractive workplace and are struggling to keep up with the pace of innovation. The issue of climate change is becoming a priority, it is of great importance for energy greening, the importance of renewable sources ”, says Ž. Skibarkiene.

It distinguishes three main directions that reflect the direction of the movement of the sector, namely: decarbonization, de-monopolization and decentralization. “These three letters ‘D’ change everything: from promoting sustainability to focusing on small electricity producers, leaving the state monopoly. Now that each of us can produce electricity, we still have to learn how to store it, ”he says.

Part of the Lithuanian population is already doing it now: they buy solar parks, install solar power plants, save, store and store energy. Favorable prospects are emerging for such solutions, and state policy is also targeting them: it is planned that by 2050 Lithuania will be able to supply itself with electricity. “I have worked in the energy field for 62 years, I have seen how much has changed over the years, but I would say that using solar and wind energy and biofuels is the best change,” says V. Šaduikis.

In general, work on energy Ž. Skibarkienė calls him a missionary: without electricity, many would not be able to live at all. However, the importance of specialized assistance is often felt in the event of a disaster, when various circumstances have to try to rebuild the network. “As long as we have electricity conveniently available, we don’t appreciate it, but when we don’t have it, we understand that it is vital at every step,” he says.