Renewable Energy Workshops
These workshops provide children with a greater understanding renewable energy sources including solar, wind, heat pumps, geothermal, tidal, wave power and hydrogen. They learn the reasons behind renewable energy, how it works and the types of career opportunities available in this sector leading to greater skills in the local community and industry. The children have great fun whilst learning how to make behavioural changes that save energy in the home and at school.
Introduction
The day starts with an introduction to renewable energy, inviting the children to share what they already know about energy and conservation. This includes a national grid activity so the children can understand how energy is distributed across the UK.
Building Wind Turbines
The children are briefed on a fun Wind power challenge where they build a wind turbine made out of recycled materials, testing their solutions with a rechargeable battery powered hairdryer and find ways to improve their design.
Tour of the site
In groups, the children take a tour of the solar or wind farm to learn how it works and about career opportunities in renewable energy.
House Insulation
Working with local energy information organisations, the children learn about home insulation ideas by building insulated cardboard houses from recycled insulation materials.
Solar Circuits
Using state of the art solar circuits donated by Anesco the children experiment generating electricity powered by solar and kinetic energy to power light, sound and movement. Helping them to appreciate how things can be powered by unlimited resources, even humans moving around.
Fossil, Wind & Solar Power
The children are split into teams of Fossil, Solar, Wind. Using different coloured energy balls they carry out challenges to help them appreciate how these need to work together to power homes and appliances.
Behavioural changes
The children take part in fun activities that help them to understand how much energy is wasted unnecessarily such as showering for too long, boiling too much water in a kettle, leaving appliances on standby etc.
Positive Impact
We measure the level of impact by asking the children questions at the beginning and end of each activity. Their knowledge of renewable energy and energy saving methods improves significantly. Their understanding what renewable energy is increased by 6 times and their understanding of how to save energy at home and school increased by 3 times.