On the road to success with Queen’s new energy efficiency initiative

Specialist engineers from EA Technology have teamed up with The Queen’s School, Chester, to embark on a new initiative.

The project, provisionally titled the ‘Road to Net Zero Project’, will strive to introduce a range of environmentally-friendly measures to reduce the carbon footprint of the school’s science block. EA Technology’s engineers are working with a group of Sixth Form and Year 10 students, to formulate and implement a programme that will deliver tangible results and benefits.

Consultant engineers Esther Dudek, Cath Birkinshaw-Doyle and Elaine Meskhi are working on the project with the students. The project has two overarching aims – to attain zero carbon emissions from the school’s science block and to provide the students with some great work and project experience. Once this pilot project is successful, Capenhurst-based EA Technology hopes to be able to roll it out across other schools in the region.

The three engineers held an assembly at the school just prior to the UK going into lockdown in March, outlining their journeys in the engineering sector and their vision behind the project. There were just over 100 girls in attendance, from a number of different year groups. This was followed by a kick-start meeting at the beginning of July, which was attended by Jane Archibald, Director of External Communications at The Queen’s School, two of the students who will be leading the project, and The school Headmistress, Sue Wallace-Woodroffe. It allowed EA Technology’s engineers to outline their ambitions for the project and the girls to share their interests and motivation for taking part. Both parties have been energised and inspired by the project’s potential, which officially started earlier this month.

Elaine Meskhi, Senior Consultant at EA Technology, explained why the project holds such appeal: “I relish working with enthusiastic students to turn their passion for protecting the planet into practical action that will reduce carbon emissions. In the world of work, it’s not only technical capability that is important, but also other transferable skills around project management, such as communication and presentational skills. We’re designing the project to give participants exposure to and experience of all these aspects. The potential for scaling this project to other schools really excites me, as this would create a considerable impact on STEM engagement and emissions reduction.”

Sue Wallace-Woodroffe, Headmistress at The Queen’s School added: “The Road to Net Zero combines a desire to raise awareness about the environment, with reducing the carbon footprint at a school and beyond. It also fits perfectly with us wanting our students to work with, and be inspired by, women who have chosen a career in an industry that has traditionally been viewed as a male-dominated sector. It’s great that we are able to do this with a locally-based, leading-edge company like EA Technology”.