“Energy WITH Spirit” Facing Nowadays Challenges by Generating Sustainbale Energy in Solidary Energy Communities: First Project Insights

Our world faces multiple challenges: The energy crisis is one of them and must be addressed at a local and regional as well as national and global level. In this transformation process of phasing out fossil energy sources, technical and social innovation must work closely together to foster long-term and sustainable changes. Generating energy from solar sources is one of the key sustainable and resource-efficient options we presently have . As stipulated in the European Green Deal, the goal is to phase out fossil fuels by 2050 with no net greenhouse gas emissions (European Commission, 2019). Sun and renewable energy sources are therefore key drivers for resilient and livable cities, societies, and economies. Just as the challenges of global change processes are unevenly distributed across the world, so are financial resources. People who are threatened or affected by poverty are more likely to be affected by energy poverty. According to a study from 2021, low-income households are significantly more affected by the rising energy prices (Maier- Kubala, 2021). Measures for energy transition and climate change adaptation are often associated with high costs and are therefore more likely to be implemented by people with higher incomes. To include vulnerable groups in the process of energy transition, the project "Energy WITH Spirit," solidarity-social energy communities, was established. The main aim of the project is for socially disadvantaged and poverty-affected households, as well as people in basic services and low-income earners , to benefit from the sustainable and solidary produced energy. 10 % of the energy produced in kWh or 10% of the profit generated in Euro will be donated to vulnerable groups. How this goal is implemented technically (e.g., smart metre rollout; photovoltaic systems and storage, optimal consumer mix), economically (e.g., billing modalities, digital billing), and organisationally (e.g., proof of household income and expenditure; selection of recipients of energy quotas) will be explored within the project. • The following target groups are involved in the solidarity-social energy communities: producers invest in sustainable energy generation through photovoltaic systems and set them up on their own properties, prosumers produce and consume part of their produced energy themselves (production and use under one roof) and consumers receive part of the energy produced by photovoltaic systems in the form of electricity. As consumers only, the project addresses the following groups: Socially disadvantaged and/or low-income households, people in basic services and the in-work impoverished who do not receive any government grants. • To better involve the target groups, knowledge-transfer and awareness-raising workshops are held to address and sensitise them to urban energy, environmental, and climate issues. According to the solidary approach, "Energy WITH Spirit" aims to overcome the challenges of the energy crisis by generating sustainable energy in a solidarity energy community by actively involving vulnerable groups in the energy transition process. The next steps of the project are the technical construction of the photovoltaic plants as well as the economic preparation of the solidary energy community. This process is accompanied by target group orientated and simple energy education workshops for the vulnerable groups

Effects of Vitamin D3 Supplementation and Resistance Training on 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Status and Functional Performance of Older Adults: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

Vitamin D status is associated with muscle strength and performance in older adults. To examine the additive effects of vitamin D3 supplementation during resistance training, 100 seniors (65–85 years) participated in a 16-week intervention. Besides a daily dose of 400 mg of calcium, participants received either 800 IU vitamin D3 per day (VDD), 50,000 IU vitamin D3 per month (VDM) or nothing (CON). After the initial loading phase of four weeks, all groups started a 10-week resistance training program. Assessments of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) status, muscle strength endurance (30-s chair stand and arm curl tests), aerobic capacity (6-min walk test) and functional mobility (gait speed and timed up and go test) were undertaken at baseline, after four weeks and at the end of the study. 25(OH)D status significantly improved in VDD and VDM, but not in CON (time x group: p = 0.021), as 15.2% of CON, 40.0% of VDD and 61.1% of VDM reached vitamin D sufficiency (>30 ng/mL; p = 0.004). Chair stand test, arm curl test, 6-min walk test, gait speed and timed up and go test improved over the whole intervention period (p < 0.05), however only chair stand and arm curl test were selectively affected by resistance training (p < 0.001). Neither muscle strength endurance, nor functional mobility or aerobic capacity were modulated by vitamin D supplementation. Therefore, the mere amelioration of 25(OH)D status of older adults does not lead to an additive effect on muscular performance during RT

The influence of vitamin D supplementation and strength training on health biomarkers and chromosomal damage in community-dwelling older adults

Older adults lack of proper physical activity which is often accompanied by vitamin D deficiency. Those factors are known to contribute to health issues in the later years of life. The main goal of this intervention study was to investigate the effect of different vitamin D supplementation strategies for 4 weeks solely or combined with a 10-week strength training program on chromosomal stability in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in community-dwelling older people. One hundred women and men (65–85 years) received either vitamin D3 daily (800 IU), a monthly dose (50.000 IU) or placebo for 17 weeks. All groups received 400 mg calcium daily. The fitness status of the study participants was measured using the 30- second chair stand test, the handgrip strength test and the 6-min walk test. The cytokinesis block micronucleus cytome (CBMN) assay was applied to analyze chromosomal anomalies, including cytotoxic and genotoxic parameters. Changes in antioxidant markers were measured in plasma.Walking distance and chair stand performance improved significantly. Increased levels of the parameters of the CBMN assay were detected for all intervention groups at study end. At baseline micronuclei (MNi) frequency correlated significantly with BMI in both sexes (females: r = 0.369, p = 0.034; males: r = 0.265, p = 0.035), but not with vitamin D serum levels. In females, body fat (r = 0.372, p < 0.001) and functional parameter using the 30-s chair stand test (r = 0.311, p = 0.002) correlated significantly with MNi frequency. Interestingly, not vitamin D supplementation but 10 weeks of resistance training increased MNi frequency indicating elevated chromosomal instability and also adverse effects on antioxidant markers including glutathione and FRAP were detected in the group of community-dwelling older adults

The Effect of Elevated Protein Intake on DNA Damage in Older People: Comparative Secondary Analysis of Two Randomized Controlled Trials

A high protein intake at old age is important for muscle protein synthesis, however, this could also trigger protein oxidation with the potential risk for DNA damage. The aim of this study was to investigate whether an increased protein intake at recommended level or well above would affect DNA damage or change levels of reduced (GSH) and oxidised glutathione (GSSG) in community-dwelling elderly subjects. These analyses were performed in two randomized intervention studies, in Austria and in New Zealand. In both randomized control trials, the mean protein intake was increased with whole foods, in the New Zealand study (n = 29 males, 74.2 ± 3.6 years) to 1.7 g/kg body weight/d (10 weeks intervention; p < 0.001)) in the Austrian study (n = 119 males and females, 72.9 ± 4.8 years) to 1.54 g/kg body weight/d (6 weeks intervention; p < 0.001)). In both studies, single and double strand breaks and as formamidopyrimidine—DNA glycosylase-sensitive sites were investigated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells or whole blood. Further, resistance to H2O2 induced DNA damage, GSH, GSSG and CRP were measured. Increased dietary protein intake did not impact on DNA damage markers and GSH/GSSG levels. A seasonal-based time effect (p < 0.05), which led to a decrease in DNA damage and GSH was observed in the Austrian study. Therefore, increasing the protein intake to more than 20% of the total energy intake in community-dwelling seniors in Austria and New Zealand did not increase measures of DNA damage, change glutathione status or elevate plasma CRP.Education, Faculty ofNon UBCKinesiology, School ofReviewedFacultyResearcherOthe