Tamale: The Dabokpa Technical Institute in Tamale has beaten six other educational institutions to emerge as the winners of the northern zone in the sixth Energy Commission Senior High Schools Renewable Energy Challenge.
According to Ghana News Agency, the keen contest saw the winners scoring 82 percent with students' innovation of an 'Intelligent Babies Incubator,' which is designed to stabilize and provide warmth to infants. This solar-powered machine includes a special sterilization function and aims to significantly reduce neonatal mortality rates in Ghana.
Ola Girls SHS in Ahafo-Kenyasi secured second place with 76 percent, presenting a wind-powered gadget equipped with sensors to prevent bird intrusion on rice fields, thereby enhancing yields for farmers. Damongo SHS in the Savannah Region developed a recycling technology that converts waste food products into biodegradable substances, earning them third place with a score of 75 percent.
These three schools will represent the Northern Zone in the national contest, which will be held later this year. Presbyterian Boys Senior High School, Legon, winners for the Southern Zone, along with two other schools, will also represent the Southern Zone.
This year's theme, 'Sustainable Energy for a Healthier Future,' provided an opportunity for students to develop innovative projects aimed at addressing food insecurity, waste management, healthcare delivery, and renewable energy solutions. The acting Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, Mrs. Eunice Biritwum, commended the participating schools for their innovation and efforts to solve real-world challenges.
She noted that to support the commercialization of students' innovations, the Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to further develop some of the projects. Through this collaboration, she highlighted that a solar dehydrator, one of the projects from previous years, is currently under review by the Intellectual Property Division of the CSIR. Once approved, the documentation will be submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization for certification.
