Liverpool teenagers' solar project scoops:- 'UK Young Technologists of the Year 2024'

A group of 6 teenage boys from Liverpool's The Blue Coat School have been crowned:- 'UK Young Technologists of the Year 2024,' for their impressive solar panels which move to face the sun.

Archit Chinnari, Ayush Shah, Benedict Dooley, Ciaran Scanlan, Rakesh Vaddepalli and William Dan, all Year 12, from the School in Wavertree, Liverpool, hit on the idea when 1 of them was having solar panels fitted to their home, and he wondered why the panels were static and didn't move to follow the sun.

The winning design, which uses an app to automate the panels, creates 16% more energy over a year than static models. The students believe their design:- 'could have a massive impact' on green energy.

One of the students commented:- "We had a solid idea. Our teacher provided us with initial advice, but it's been our own work. Resilience was needed as we came across multiple hurdles, but we worked well as a team, using our unique set of skills, with 3 of us working on the software and 3 of us focusing on the hardware. Converting analogue to digital took a lot of dedication."

The Technology stream was introduced to The Big Bang Competition this year, supported by Siemens.

Mark Wood, Social Sustainability Lead, Great Britain and Ireland, at Siemens commented:- "The Big Bang is a great competition to inspire creative ideas to real life problems. This mirrors what we do every day as a business, and we are delighted to be sponsoring the 1st UK Young Technologist of the Year Award. Inspiring the next generation of technologists is vital for our economy, our business and to solve the challenges we face across the world every day and in the future. A huge well done to this year's winners with their impressive design."

The Big Bang Competition UK Technologist of the Year Award was presented to the students by conservationist and TV presenter Megan McCubbin.

The UK Young Technologist of the Year is the top technology award in:- The Big Bang Competition, a nationwide competition for young engineers, scientists and technologists. The winners of:- The Competition, which recognises and rewards talented young innovators, were announced at:- The Big Bang Fair.

The Big Bang Fair is UK's largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for young people held at Birmingham's NEC over:- 19 June to 21 June 2024. Run by EngineeringUK, The Fair is supported by organisations across the education and STEM sector including:- Rolls-Royce, Jaguar Land Rover, and new supporters:- Accenture, Zoolab, JCB, Johnson and Johnson and easyJet.

Dr Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive said:- "Huge congratulations to our 6 UK Young Technologists of the Year, who have demonstrated what can be achieved through teamwork. The judges were really impressed with their problem-solving skills and resilience and their passion for technology. They have a very bright future ahead of them."

To find out more and discover all the winners of The Big Bang Competition 2024 visit:- TheBigBang.Org.UK.

ANALYSIS by the Lib Dems has shown that in 2023 United Utilities dumped sewage 114 times in Southport for a staggering total of 242 hours. The Lib Dems have several bold plans to tackle the growing crisis of sewage dumping in our waterways which includes:- abolishing the current regulator Ofwat and replacing it with a new regulator the Clean Water Authority with greater powers. This follows the party's announcement earlier this year of plans for a ban on water company executive bonuses.

Other key plans in the manifesto are:-

•  Pledging:- £10 million per year to deliver new water quality inspectors, as part of an ambition to recruit at least 1 hundred new:- 'sewage busters.'
  

•  A massive expansion of marine protected areas and a new Blue Flag status for rivers will be included in the party's general election manifesto. The introduction of Blue Flag status would set legally binding targets to prevent sewage dumping in those sites, giving special protected status for swimmers and wildlife.
  

•  Community environmental experts to sit on water company boards who could hold water bosses' feet to the fire and mean that local people would have a say in how their water company is run.