By Umer Nangiana
Exciting ideas and impeccable execution, school children have put solar energy to best use in creating innovative and artistic crops demonstrating their high value and ultimate utility.
The younger generation showcases the illumined future of solar technology, incidentally attached with their own future, at ‘Shams Generation’, an initiative by Qatar Solar Technologies (QStec).
The showcase is visible at an exhibition and workshop created by QSTec’s initiative, Shams Generation, at Katara Cultural Complex, building 13. The exhibition showcases over 200 pieces of solar art developed by 6 to 16-year-old students from Qatar Academy, Awsaj, Qatar Academy Sidra and Doha College.
Dr Khalid K al-Hajri, Chairman and CEO of QSTec inaugurated the opening of the exhibition and workshop here recently.
“QSTec has developed a unique solar energy education initiative that is encouraging the development of our next generation of solar engineers and researchers through a greater understanding of solar technologies, their applications and the need to protect the environment,” said al-Hajri.
“The enthusiasm that these young students have shown in learning about solar energy and developing these unique solar powered works of art is truly amazing,” al-Hajri added while commenting on the work on display at the gallery.
“There is nothing more important than the education of our youth and it gives me great hope for the future to see so many young students taking such a deep interest in solar technologies and their applications,” said the Chairman and CEO of QSTec, adding that QSTec is very proud to be supporting this solar learning initiative.
The exhibition displays the talented works of students and will take place every night, after Iftar, until the end of Eid al-Fitr.
Alongside the exhibition, children are able to participate in hands-on creative solar workshops and learn how to build their own solar lanterns. The workshop is open to children between the ages of 6-13 and their families until the end of Ramadan at Katara.
The exhibition emphasises Shams Generation students’ understanding of solar power as Qatar’s primary renewable energy technology and sustainability. The Shams Generation workshops aims to reach out to children in a way that is engaging, inspiring and reflects QSTec’s vision and mission, said the chairman.
Based on an interdisciplinary approach to education called ‘STEAM’ that combines Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics, the Shams Generation initiative encourages the students to draw upon their various academic skills by working on interesting projects that inspire children to learn besides encourage lifelong learning practices.
Through the project, QSTec has provided first-stage pilot programme solar learning kits to both students and teachers. Teachers attended workshops and were given exclusive access to the interactive website that provides online learning tools based on the three Shams Generation levels of solar learning.
The solar kits were then distributed to all participating students who designed creative and innovative solar works of art that combined light, motion and solar energy.
Side by side, the Shams Generation solar lantern workshops will be held throughout Ramadan at Qatar Fine Arts Society at 9pm at Katara building 13. Over 750 school children were involved in the pilot phase of Shams Generation and this will expand to over 1,500 in the 2015-16 academic year.
QSTec, as a company, says it is enabling Qatar reach a sustainable future by manufacturing and supplying solar energy solutions that are used locally and exported globally.
QSTec, a joint venture formed between Qatar Solar (a wholly owned subsidiary of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development), SolarWorld AG and Qatar Development Bank, has access to unrivalled resources with a philosophy that is built on quality, operational excellence and commercial integrity.
The company is currently building an 8,000 metric ton per annum polysilicon facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City Qatar and is the largest private equity holder in the global solar company SolarWorld.
QSTec and its partners are the key solar technology suppliers for some of Qatar’s most iconic buildings and offer turnkey solar energy solutions for any sized project in addition to offering high quality Polysilicon to customers around the world.
INAUGURATION: Dr Khalid K al-Hajri, Chairman and CEO of QSTec, inaugurating the exhibition and the workshop.
