Moate student to present project at SciFest National Finals
Moate Community School student Fionn Campbell is set to present his project ‘A crystal clear way to slow down Ireland’s energy crisis’ at the SciFest National Final.
The SciFest National Final 2024 will take place on Friday, November 29, at the Marino Conference Centre on Griffith Avenue, Dublin 9.
The student took home both the EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award and overall Runner-up for Best Project following his impressive scientific research presented at the SciFest@College Regional Final fair at Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone campus earlier this year.
As a result, the fourth-year student is now going on to compete against sixty other students from thirty-one schools nationwide in the STEM fair final.
Fionn is in with a chance to represent Ireland at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.
His project ‘A crystal clear way to slow down Ireland’s energy crisis’, involves the design a small-scale prototype for an electricity-generating speed ramp which uses piezoelectricity (an electric charge from solid materials) to harvest the kinetic energy of road vehicles.
Wishing the students the best of luck for the national finals Claire Wallace, Interim Head of Strategy and Sustainability with EirGrid, said: “As future leaders and innovators, students bring fresh ideas and drive to create change for a more sustainable future.
"The future of energy production will rely heavily on innovative approaches to renewable sources, and it is students like this who are driving that change.
“I wish the very best of luck to Fionn at the SciFest finals. Through our partnership with SciFest, EirGrid is proud to support the promotion of STEM subjects and encourage young people to let their voices be heard.”
Currently in its 19th year, the SciFest programme is open to second-level students, with the aim of promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) education and providing a platform for students to present and display their scientific projects.
EirGrid, the operator and developer of Ireland’s electricity grid, partnered with SciFest to develop the EirGrid Cleaner Climate award which celebrates students who research and design projects to address challenges posed by climate or energy.