Kildare school attends energy-saving workshop

Secondary school students from Kildare learned about how they can take steps to conserve electricity, during the An Taisce Green-Schools’ regional energy workshop, in partnership with EirGrid, operator and developer of the national electricity grid.

Students from Clongowes Wood College SJ recently attended the workshop in Portlaoise, alongside students from schools across Laois and Offaly.

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

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

Senior Project Manager with EirGrid, Eoin Brockert, spoke to students at the recent workshops about EirGrid’s leading role in decarbonising the electricity grid.

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

“It is truly inspiring to see how passionate younger generations are about climate action, and workshops like these are a fantastic opportunity to empower young people to lead the charge when it comes to energy conservation.”

Rob Nelson, Green-Schools Energy Theme Co-ordinator, said: “Events such as these 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.”

To date, over 3,000 schools have been awarded the energy flag since the beginning of the Green-Schools programme in 1997.

Green-Schools:

Green-Schools (known internationally as Eco-Schools), is an environmental management education programme, environmental management system and award scheme that promotes and acknowledges long-term, whole-school action for the environment, and is operating in 58 countries around the world including; almost all EU member states, Africa, South America, North America, Canada, Oceania and Asia.  Green-Schools is an initiative of FEE (the Foundation for Environmental Education).

The programme is coordinated in Ireland by An Taisce, operated in partnership with Local Authorities and is supported by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government; Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment;  Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Irish Aid, National Transport Authority, NPWS, Irish Water, EirGrid and the Wrigley Company Limited.