Huonville High School picks up $133,000 international sustainable energy award
Updated
A Tasmanian high school student has been congratulated by world leaders after his school won an international renewable energy prize worth $US100,000 ($133,000).
Huonville High was one of 14 schools from around the world competing for the Global High Schools Zayed Future Energy Prize, which aims to inspire future generations "to be responsible, sustainable citizens".
Team leader Toby Thorpe, 14, represented the school at the ceremony in Abu Dhabi and was presented with the award for the Oceania region — $US100,000 to make the school's designs a reality — in front of thousands of people.
"The experience of the presentation was absolutely amazing," Toby said.
"There were world leaders there from all over the world — I got to meet some of them.
"The ex-president of Iceland came up and congratulated me, the president of Kazakhstan presented me with the award."
The students come from an area which has traditionally relied on the forest industry until a recent downturn.
Now, the team of 18 students have put the small country town on the map with green solutions for their school.
They designed a range of sustainable solutions, including retro-fitting a school building from a 0.5-star energy rating to a six-star energy rating.
They will now also build a bicycle-powered cinema, a bio-digester, more solar panels and a windmill.
The school will also use some of the prize money to introduce an energy training certificate course to Year 11 and 12 students at its Trade Training Centre.
Toby said the prize money would transform the school and create new opportunities.
"It means more opportunities for the school, it's going to give all the students a better opportunity for renewable energy education," he said.
School principal Geoff Williamson said the award ceremony had been a surreal experience.
"It is held in such high regard here in the United Arab Emirates — the whole Royal Family including the Sultan himself was at the awards — it's very humbling," he said.
Mr Williamson said the award would help build future leaders.
Projects given a 12-month timeframe
"It will have such an impact on the region as well, it's not just us as a school, but it is building the leaders of the future in sustainable practices," he said.
"For the school it means we can implement the plans put forward and develop the school as a 'lighthouse' school for sustainable practices.
"The aim is for all the plans to be implemented, including the bicycle-powered cinema.
"The funding comes out based on what we produce throughout the year, the aim is to get as many done in the next 12 months as possible," he said.
Huon Energy Futures Team coordinator Nel Smit hoped the award would inspire other schools.
"It was so exciting to be up there representing Tasmania as a renewable energy state," she said.
"We are hoping that this project can be a demonstration project. It will certainly be a fabulous thing for Huonville High School but also for Tasmania."
Last year's prize was taken out by Cashmere High School in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The Zayed Future Energy Prize competition started in 2008 and was created by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi.
Topics: science-awards, secondary-schools, sustainable-living, huonville-7109, united-arab-emirates
First posted
