Mr Sunshine

"What is the bright yellow ball you see when you look up at the blue morning sky?'' Saeed Mohammadi asks a group of wide-eyed kids in a classroom. "The sun, of course!'' they answer. You are right, he says, before going on to explain in a lucid and clear way, his solar energy mission: "The sun is a star that emits a large amount of heat as it burns. We can use that light and heat from the sun to provide us the energy we need to run the earth in a clean way."

Mohammadi, a Canadian of Iranian origin is the executive director of Barcode General Trading, a Dubai-based company that is involved in food and beverages, renewable energy, B2B Online business and Investments. He believes that sowing the seeds of a green and clean earth should begin at school. To this end he has developed what he calls the Solar System for School (SSS) project. The idea of SSS is to have practical pilot cases of alternative electricity generation through solar energy systems as part of energy management curriculum in schools.

"This would provide both teachers and students a chance to learn and actively participate in practical means of sustainable energy production. The introduction of a solar energy system in schools as part of their curriculum would be a very interesting scheme, if implemented," says Mohammadi.

Any environmental initiative can take great strides if it involves people, especially children and young adults, he says. "The SSS programme can be used as an educational tool to teach our children. It can also benefit all schools by reducing their monthly electricity bills and carbon footprint. Ultimately these school buildings could try to get LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited as per international standards or be a part of the EGBC (The Emirates Green Building Council) which is UAE's self-proposed building sustainability assessment system."

Catch them young

To take his idea further, Mohammadi printed 5,000 copies of colouring books illustrating the basic concepts of renewable energy in an easy-to-understand manner for children.

"The idea of designing and printing such a book was to let children from kindergarten up to the age of ten to have a better understanding of what the sun is, how wind power could be used, how they can save energy and how solar panels work," says Mohammadi.

He distributed more than 2,000 copies of these books to children in a few schools in Mirdif free of charge. The GEMS group of schools has also received the fruits of this endeavour.

The books seem to have created the desired effect if the responses of some of the children are any indication. "We are the earth's ambassadors, [we need] to educate everyone to conserve the ‘greenness' of earth," says Ava, a grade 2 pupil at Royal Dubai School (RDS), who received the book.

Ten-year-old Annabelle Saunders from the same school agrees. "It may seem like a small change but together we can make a big difference," she says. "It's our environment, our future, today is a great day to start."

"Although a lot needs to be done, it is not impossible to make a change," says eight-year-old Marall, who appeared to be pretty aware of the harm being caused to the environment.

"If we don't do something to save the earth now, human beings will become extinct within a few hundred years. That is a very sad thought."

Mohammadi says he has had positive feedback from the schools he approached to distribute his books. "Teachers and children were very excited to use the book during our Environmental Studies lessons," says Poonam Vig, a teacher and Student Enrichment Coordinator with Royal Dubai School, Mirdif. She has been in constant touch with Mohammadi from the day the colouring books were distributed. Some children even showed interest in studying how photovoltaic solar thermal panels are installed.

"I think the initiative is great,'' says Vig. "It really got children thinking about topics which they may not learn about from the [regular] curriculum. I think projects like SSS are very beneficial to companies (as they save money) and most importantly, to the environment. It is important to take serious action now to make the world a better place."

Does she think the idea (of installing solar panels in homes, schools and commercial establishments) is feasible?

"The [initial] costs are quite high but money will be saved in the long run,'' she says. "Solar energy generation is a great idea and in a country like the UAE where it is always sunny it is a good place to start.

"RDS takes part in many eco initiatives,'' she says, adding, talks are on about the feasibility of having solar energy generation projects on campus.

Mohammadi is keen to implement well-designed, comprehensive and reliable solar energy mechanisms - including research, development and incentive programmes in schools.

"Once schools start implementing solar energy generation systems, it will have a snowball effect which will see many parents take an active interest in setting up [such] systems in homes. Eventually industries will also take a cue and a total green concept could be implemented step by step," he says.

How it works

"SSS has three elements that work together or independently," explains Mohammadi. "SSS proposes to install one or two photovoltaic systems (solar panels) on the roof of classrooms in selected schools at very low cost to the school. These systems could generate a portion of the school's electricity requirements from the sun." Mohammadi also suggests that having a full-time Environmental Educator at schools will be helpful.

He has also been in touch with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) to present his SSS programme in line with the recent announcements by the KHDA to encourage green measures.

KHDA aims to create a policy to incorporate the highest environmentally sustainable standards, starting with the curriculum and then the infrastructure. It has launched various pilot projects to teach pupils about the importance of these [green] concepts.

Mohammadi says, "Solar energy, the cleanest source [of energy] in environmental terms, is an ideal option for the UAE to fulfil its energy requirements as the country receives ample quantities throughout the year. Similar technology is already being used in foreign countries for heating water [in homes and commercial establishments] and street and billboards lighting, and they are reaping the benefits of cost saving without compromising on quality. With the available technology, installing just one modern solar cell can satisfy the energy needs of an entire household.''

He admits that one reason people are not excited about using solar energy at homes is the initial cost of installing panels. He says people should be encouraged to install solar panels at homes because it has huge long-term savings potential.

Drive to act

"The future of the earth worries me,'' he says.

"I want my kids to enjoy all the good things that I have enjoyed, like green forests, clean skies and clear rain. It's like you worry that your children may not have food in the next 20 years. How can we stay calm and relaxed? Reserves of oil are finite. Predictions suggest that by 2050 up to half the energy used by the world will be through sustainable means."

Solar panels are already in use in the UAE on parking meters and sign boards. A few residential buildings, hotels and office blocks use solar for water heating systems, but academics, environmentalists and dealers of solar energy products still feel more could be done.

"If the UAE takes the lead in renewable energy, the Gulf region could become a leader in solar power generation and a major draw for renewable energy investors.

"My family raised me in such a way that made me aware that the world was not for me alone. Regardless of where one lives, we must do our best to keep our world as clean as our own home. It is up to each and every one of us to make conscious decisions to be greener in most aspects of our lives. Can we use solar thermal panels to generate electricity at schools and homes? Can we recycle water bottles? Can glass be re-used? Can we return newspapers to depots for recycling? Can we switch off unnecessary lights? Can we turn off the tap when not in use? Can we regulate the thermostat on the air conditioning? Yes, we can."

"‘Live Green, Save Green' is SSS's slogan. Going green is easier than ever. It is up to each one of us how this story ends."

Benefits of SSS

The introduction of a ‘green' scheme in schools is an interesting experiment. If successful, it may well prove to be vital for the future of any environmental initiative, not only in UAE but in the entire Middle East.

[Info courtesy: SSS brochures and www.barcodeenergy.com]

For more information on the SSS initiative, Saeed Mohammadi can be contacted at saeed@mebiz4sale.com. Schools that wish to have copies of the SSS colouring book can contact his office, the address is available on the website http://www.barcodeenergy.com/

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