News Article
Sharp Students Develop Solar Possibilities
School pupils demonstrate their SHARPness at the latest Make it Enterprising Schools Challenge event
A hundred young people from Welsh and English schools were tasked with designing innovative and creative solutions to help businesses reduce their carbon footprint at the recent SHARP Make It.
In order to 'reflect' that the SHARP factory at Wrexham makes solar panels, the 12-teams were asked to become green mini-manufacturers for the day devising inventive eco-friendly power generation and energy solutions for a choice of customers - from supermarkets, to hospitals, to gyms and factories. The challenge was set by the senior management team at SHARP, whose state-of-the-art solar module manufacturing facility is not only one of the most technically advanced in the world, but their first plant in Europe.
Heat winners Ysgol Bryn Alyn impressed the judges with their low cost, high quality "Energy Saving Schools" design which generated and captured enough solar power to run a green high school. The team also proposed that each pupil in the school would receive a solar-powered personal organiser that would change colour to illustrate their own energy-efficiency.
Runner-up prize went to Darland High School. Their team, Dynamic Designs, chose 360 degree solar panels to provide light, heat and hot water for the guests of a new, trendy boutique hotel. Demonstrating their understanding of new technology, the team also suggested a phone application that tells guests how much energy they're using.
Having designed and built 3D floor plans of their energy-efficient buildings the teams then pitched their ideas and marketing and sales plans in a two-minute presentation to a team of 'dragons' from SHARP.
Denise Marsden, General Manager of the Wrexham factory said: "We were delighted to be able support this event. It not only helps educate young people and encourage them to consider manufacturing as a career choice for the future, but is allows SHARP to showcase manufacturing and to raise the profile of the company. We are committed to helping industry utilise sustainable energy that not only has a positive impact upon the environment, but also helps their bottom-line profitability through lower energy bills."
Make It campaign manager, Nicola Eagleton-Crowther, said: "Events such as these are designed to introduce teenagers to the real and exciting opportunities of modern manufacturing. Not only do they demonstrate to youngsters how vital manufacturing is to the economy, they show the challenges of working for a major sustainable and energy efficient solution business such as SHARP".
The free event, which was held at the Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse, was part of The Manufacturing Institute's Make It in Manufacturing campaign (www.makeit.org.uk) to attract talented young people into industry and was co-sponsored by the Mersey Dee Alliance which is committed to helping manufacturing businesses within its area gain competitive advantage through building world class workforces.
Cllr Denis Knowles, Chair of the Mersey Dee Alliance said, "We are ever conscious of the need to ensure links between local businesses and schools are maintained and strengthened. By supporting the Make It Enterprising Challenges across the North East Wales, West Cheshire and Wirral areas, we can further demonstrate the vital importance of the manufacturing sector to the UK economy. We are especially pleased to be able to work in partnership with The Manufacturing Institute and locally based manufacturers like SHARP in furthering this aim."
