Venkat Raman
venkat@indiannewslink.co.nz
Eight-year-old Ashreya Ranchord became the cynosure of all eyes and certainly the pride of modern children as she won the first prize in the recently conducted ‘Meridian Energy Wind Turbine Competition.’
The little one, a student at Wellington’s Brooklyn School was not present at the awards ceremony held on April 15, 2016 but would be honoured at another event being organised by Meridian Energy shortly.
Powering 500 homes
Her father, Dr Anil Ranchord, an Interventional Cardiologist at Wakefield Heart Centre, Newtown, Wellington (also a Consultant Cardiologist at Wellington Hospital and Clinical Senior Lecturer at Wellington School of Medicine) said that Meridian Energy has a new Wind Turbine has been opened at Brooklyn in the Capital.
“It is capable of powering about 500 homes. Meridian Energy organised a competition for children of Wellington schools to design futuristic invention that could create a better energy future over the next 20 years.
“Ashreya designed ‘Energy Floor,’ a novel concept that stores the energy generated by children jumping and running on a playground with special sensors in the floor. She hopes that it could power her school and local houses and reduce the production of greenhouse gases,” he said.
Time Capsule
All competition entries have been inserted into a time capsule, to be opened in 2035.
When that eventuates, the youngster, who is excited being the ‘older sister’ to her nine-month-old sibling, would have acquired greater knowledge on not only Turbine generation but other forms of energy.
Meanwhile, on the grow, she watches the Turbine from her bedroom window.
Her mother Shilpa Ranchord, a teacher by profession, shares the pride of raising a talented child with her family and the community.
Meridian Energy project manager Craig Brown described the concept propounded by Ashreya as ‘incredible.’
“It was exactly what every parent has been wanting to know; if their children bouncing could create energy to store and use. Having the children at the opening was fantastic. They all had really broad and different ideas, and a lot of them were very enthusiastic about the turbine,” she said.
Community support
Ms Brown said that some children had inventions for the future while others were talking about the community.
Meridian Energy Community Engagement Manager Carly Andersen said that the Brooklyn community showed great support throughout the project.
“Brooklyn School has the turbine on their school logo, and they were also making model wind turbines at school. The Turbine has become an icon for the community, and for Wellington,” she said.
Photo :
- Ashreya Ranchord with the Citation
- The Turbine in Brooklyn, Wellington
