Talking waves on Lewis
28 Mar 11 - Megan Richardson, Site Developer & Sarah Brock, Student Intern
Earlier this month we took a two-day trip to the Isle of Lewis
to attend a public event on a renewable energy project and give
some school talks on wave energy. Our first stop was a public
exhibition hosted by Stornoway Wind Power.
We had our wave tank on display and were inundated by school
groups and lots of questions! Kids were able to create some waves
(and splash their friends!) and see the Oyster array in action. We
explained how electricity was made using the Oyster and answered
lots of questions about its design, manufacture, installation, the
environment, cost and the list could go on! We had some incredibly
inquisitive kids, which made the event really fun to be a part of.
It's possible we even managed to convince some of them that science
is fun!
On day two we took part in the Hebridean Science Festival,
organised by ESTEEM (Engineering, Science, Technology,
Employability, Enterprise, Maths), a local voluntary group whose
aim is to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers
from the Western Isles.
The theme this year was 'Renewable Energy', and we went to Bayble
Primary School to the east of Stornoway and Shawbost School on the
west coast to give a 30 minute presentation on renewable energy in
Scotland, with a huge focus on wave power and Oyster.
The kids, aged seven to 13, were well informed, and had lots of
great and often challenging questions. We also passed out activity
sheets and some Oyster diagrams to colour in. We loved them! Some
of our favourites are on display in our Edinburgh office - and we
have posted one by Kathryn Baisling from Bayble Primary School
online here. In total we spoke to over 100 children and their
teachers, and had a really rewarding time doing so.
Our final stop required a flag, a beach, Arne Vögler from Lews
Castle College and a camera! All of which were needed for a
photo shoot to accompany the announcement of the Hebridean
Marine Energy Futures project funded by the Scottish Funding
Council with Aquamarine Power as lead industry partner. The project
is a collaborative research programme which will undertake a range
of tasks from seabed surveying and wave energy resource assessments
to the modelling of the interaction of different devices and their
impact on the electrical grid.
After a busy couple of days in Stornoway, it was already time to
head back to the office. We couldn't believe how much we had
managed to get done. And the ever-efficient people that we are - we
were even able to make time to buy some award-winning Stornoway
black pudding!