NEW Amsterdam Multilateral was adjudged winner of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA)’s secondary school competition on energy use, environmental issues and sustainable development projects.
Under the theme, “Reliable energy – economically, environmentally and socially sustainable – for all in Guyana,” 17-year-old Brianca Michael on Friday copped the first prize of a laptop and plaque, courtesy of Demerara Bank.
The school also received a solar system valued at about $2M, which will be installed by December 2017.

Second place went to School of the Nations’ Rajendra Singh, who received a tablet and plaque, sponsored by Demerara Bank, while third place went to the Bishop’s High School’s Anuradha Sukha, who received a tablet and plaque, again courtesy of Demerara Bank.
Public Communications Officer, Taiwo Williams, said the competition was organised in an effort to sensitise youths at the secondary school level on energy use, environmental issues, and sustainable development, as well as encourage learning in a creative format.
She explained that renewable energy and energy efficiency offer the greatest scope for reducing Guyana’s dependence on fossil fuels, diversifying the energy mix, and attaining energy security.

“The wider use and exploration of cleaner, renewable sources of energy is also important, given the fact that Guyana possesses great potential in renewable energy sources, such as hydropower, solar and bio-energy,” Williams noted.
In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Deputy Head of New Amsterdam Multilateral, Ms Fhaundel Phillips, said she is humbled by the fact that the students were awarded.
She explained that it represents the culmination of hard work, and a marriage between the home and school community, since the project required a lot of after-school work.
“As a school, we try to let our school benefit from all upgrading courses to expose students, and we have reaped success,” she said.

Digital Media Teacher, Billy LeBennett, said he saw the competition on a poster and decided to sign up students and the school for the contest.
He said the project involved creating a biofuel apparatus which would be able to power appliances in the school.
“I urged them to work hard and do their research, and, of course, we spent lots of hours behind these projects,” LeBennett said.
Brianca Michael, who submitted the winning project, said she was surprised that she won, since she had worked towards her colleague winning.

She said that of the three projects that were submitted, it was the biofuel ingester that won, out of the solar and wind power projects that her male colleagues submitted.
Noting that biofuels are made mostly of harvested plants, Michael said the three main types of biofuel are ethanol, biodiesel, and biojet fuel. She said the project was realistic, since it could be implemented at the school.
“We discussed implementing the system, and it is a realistic idea, since there are organic waste material always available from the Home Economics Department,” she said.

As the only female in the group, she said each student had their initial ideas to reduce the carbon footprint. She explained that biofuels are designed to replace gasoline, diesel fuel and coal, which are called “fossil fuels,” because they are made from animals and plants that died millions of years ago, and as such the biofuel was an excellent option.
In conclusion, she said, “I would like to thank God; my mom for being lenient for the hours I spent in school; my teachers who inspired and worked with us assiduously; Mr. Chan and the two boys in the group.”