Here's how to have fun with solar energy

Dubai - 'The Solar Project' a continuous project; at present, it has benefitted over 500 students

Beacon Energy Solutions and The Lighthouse Cohort have recently launched "The Solar Project" to provide access to solar energy in a fun and engaging way at various levels of the community.
The CSR initiative places an emphasis on educating end-users - including students, corporate employees, fishermen, labourers and seafarers - on increasing the use of solar applications to meet the world's environmental challenges.
"In our endeavour to achieve our objective, we have cooked a solar meal at schools, labour camp, and construction site. We also gifted solar operated products including a mobile charger, lamp, torch and radio to the construction workers in Dubai and the fishermen in the Northern Emirates. These products, which do not require electricity, will give them a hands on experience of using solar energy on a daily basis," said Sandhya Prakash, CEO of Beacon Energy Solutions.
"The Solar Project was launched in May 2015 as a prelude to Environment Day in 2015," The Lighthouse Cohort founder Aishwarya Joshi added. "Beacon Energy Solutions introduced solar cooking to more than 200 students across three different schools in Dubai. Students between Grades 6 to 8 had cooked noodles in a solar cooker."
The project has developed further over a year's period, she added. "This year, as part of Environment Day 2016, Lighthouse Cohort as social impact partners of Beacon Energy Solutions' CSR initiative has been driving the solar project to corporates, labourers and fishermen to ensure that the message of practical applications of renewable energy reaches to all levels of the UAE community. We drive the project through strategic partnerships with corporates and NGOs [non-government organisations] within the UAE framework."
The schools that participated in The Solar Project during Environment Day 2015 were DPS in DSO, Raffles International and Ambassador School. The initiative is a continuous project, and, at present, has benefitted more than 500 students across various schools. The solar cooking session, on the other hand, was conducted with 50 participants at a labour camp, along with 15 other workers on the construction site of Dubai-based company, Chicago Maintenance and Construction.
In addition, the distribution of solar products for the fishermen was carried out recently at Ghalilah port in Ras Al Khaimah for 120 fishermen at their accommodations. The solar products were provided by Beacon Energy Solutions, and the activity was supported by the NGO Mission to Seafarers in UAE.
Both Prakash and Joshi said that the response to the initiative has been overwhelming. The fishermen and labourers, they said, were thrilled to find out that solar energy can be used so easily, and were excited to implement the practice in their home countries.
"Especially with the fishermen, the mobile chargers, radios, and lamps act as saviours when at sea," said Joshi.
"It keeps the communication going, and also keeps them entertained when it gets lonely during the long hours of fishing. They said that all they had to do is depend on the sun and not worry about the battery getting drained. They also mentioned that they will spread the word to their friends and family; and that it was one of the most useful gifts they have received so far. Currently, the objective is to mainly introduce and equip them with the knowledge to use solar energy to their benefit. We believe it will help the fishermen overcome existing unavoidable challenges at their workplace at sea."
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com