The brother and sister team of Savannah and Alex Bowe, representing St. Winifred’s School Garden Club, showcasing their Solar Powered Water Feature which was made using two recycled barrels; six concrete blocks; one solar powered water pump; water, fish and pond weed.
Bright future for renewable energy
The auditorium at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology (SJPI) was buzzing with discussions on the use of electricity and alternative sources of energy yesterday.
However, the bright ideas were voiced by this island’s future scientists and engineers, who gathered to compete in the Annual Electricity and Renewable Energy Science Exposition, hosted by the Media Resource Department (MRD) of the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, in collaboration with the Barbados Light & Power Company Limited.
This year, over 20 projects from primary, secondary and private schools were judged.
“The main objective of the projects is to analyse electricity or renewable energy with an investigation or to solve a problem with an invention,” said Chief Media Resource Officer, Burkley Lowe, commending the MRD, and parents who worked with the children to bring the projects to fruition.
“These projects were assigned to students to give them the great opportunity to learn about science outside of school books and prescription homework. Science encourages us to ask ourselves questions about the world we live in.”
BLPC’s Communications Advisor, Nichole Scantlebury expressed that it was a pleasure to work closely with the MRD team to present the event, which rewards innovation and creative thinking of students across the island.
“This partnership is a very special one to us at Light and Power, because in addition to positively impacting the lives of students and teachers, we are able to inspire and generate interest around the use of renewable energy sources and your response are these amazing displays, affirms that we all have a role to play in the transition to 100 percent renewable energy and 100 percent electrification,” she pointed out.
“Congratulations for reaching this point, the judging. Today, is the communication of your long hours of research and sacrifice which has resulted in these projects…Also, thank you for answering the call to be apart of this expo, for being a part of the solution that our country needs to achieve the vision for 2030. I am sure that for some of you, your projects are going to live on long after today.”
The winners will have the privilege of displaying their projects at the 2019 Barbados Manufacturers' Exhibition (BMEX), being held in June. (TL)