Primary 6/7 at Port Ellen were learning about renewable energy and wave power and decided that we would make wave power devices for the Junior Saltire Awards. These awards are open to schools around Scotland who want to design and build their own wave powered electricity generating devices. As we already have lots of Marine renewables on Islay, with the Limpet in Portnahaven and the new tidal generator planned for the sound of Jura, we thought we should have a go.

My groups name was called DUNLLY!!! and we tested it in the sea. Our device had one problem at the beginning of the design, we couldn’t get the LED light to work but managed to problem solve and sandpapered the wires to get the light to flash in the waves. We changed the light around until we managed to get it to flash, it was really hard to make it generate electricity but we managed it in the end. But I think every group had a problem. When we were making the designs we got better at our communication skills, also there was another group called The DOUGHNUT Device they had a problem it sunk instead of floating, but eventually they made electricity too.

We feel really proud we managed to make a device that worked, and even more proud when we heard we were through to the finals of the Junior Saltire awards. Now we have to take our device to Glasgow in June to be tested in the main tank at the department of Navel Engineering. I hope it still works!

By Alicia