Cork students show EirGrid they are bright sparks

Seven primary and secondary schools across Cork took part in An Taisce Green Schools’ regional energy workshops last week.

The workshops, delivered in partnership with EirGrid, saw students and teachers from Dripsey NS; St Michaels NS, Blackrock; Rathpeacon NS; Coláiste Éamann Rís; Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh; St Angela’s College; and Coláiste Choilm in attendance.

These events, which are part of a series of workshops taking place across the country over the academic year, brought together students from around Cork to learn more about where energy comes from, and what steps can be taken to effectively manage electricity use in their homes and schools.

Experiments

The workshops saw the students and their teachers engage in activities and experiments to help develop their awareness of energy consumption, along with how they can lead the charge in their communities when it comes to conserving energy.

Participants also learned about the Celtic Interconnector Project, a milestone project which will enable the exchange of 700MW of electricity between Ireland and France.

The community liaison officer with EirGrid, Michelle Walsh, spoke to students at the workshops about EirGrid’s role in decarbonising the electricity grid.

Renewable energy

“We were delighted to engage with students and teachers about our energy consumption and how EirGrid is contributing to the secure transition of our electricity grid to low carbon renewable energy,” said Ms Walsh.

“It is truly inspiring to see how passionate younger generations are about climate action.

“Workshops like these are a fantastic opportunity to empower young people to lead the charge when it comes to energy conservation.”

Rob Nelson, who is the Green Schools energy theme co-ordinator, said these workshops “showcase the bright minds that will lead the way in securing our energy future and inspiring their schools, homes, and communities”.

“We would like to thank EirGrid for its support in allowing workshops such as these to happen, empowering young people to be part of the conversation,” said Mr Nelson.