National energy conservation day celebrations December 16, 2008

Gujarat Science City (GSC), in association with the Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA), is organizing various activities and educational programmes on energy education and conservation to mark the National Energy Conservation Day on 14th December 2008. The celebration will see the participation of school children, teachers and general visitors to Science City in several activities to spread the message and practice of energy conservation and awareness.

School children are invited and encouraged to visit Science City and have a walk though the Energy Park to learn about the renewable and non-renewable energy sources and to see various energy related movies in Auditorium and LED Screen In addition, students can participate in the competitions on poster design, essay writing, quiz and puzzle solving for the school students during the week long programme. There are also various energy related games to be played with the students. There is no registration fee for participation. Rush to Science City and tag your name as the Energy Conservator Ambassador of this week.

The National Energy Conservation Day is celebrated every year in India as a day for awareness and understanding about various sources of non-conventional and conventional energy sources and aims to promote energy efficiency and energy conservation.

GEDA-GSC this year have also organized twelve 2-day training-cum-teaching modules for 1800 school teachers (Urja Agevan) enrolled under the Bal Urja Rashkak Dal (BURD) programme at Science City.

GEDA has motivated a force of 45000 school students from 1800 schools across the state under the BURD programme. The programme initiated at the behest of Shri Narendra Modi, Hon'ble Chief Minister, Gujarat in the year 2004.

The young energy guardians reach out to the community to promote best practices in energy conservation, impart knowledge about energy efficient technologies, campaign for renewable energy alternatives, and advocate ethical use of energy. They endeavor to highlight linkages between our present lifestyle: rapid industrialization, urbanization, consumerism and growing energy and resource consumption and its impact on our natural resources, climate and environment.

Their credo is 'save energy, save money, save earth' The program strives to empower Urja Rakshaks with the understanding that the power of change lies with the individual; even small, simple and seemingly insignificant change-encouraging actions, when repeated diligently with tireless consistency, grow into dominant trends that can transform our world with an amazing 'fractal power'.

A State Level Energy Education Park (SEEP) at the GSC, implemented by GEDA with the financial support of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), Govt of India, to create awareness and understanding amongst people in general and the children in particular about the use and benefits of renewable energy technologies.

The exhibits in the park have classified according to five basic elements (Panchbhuta) as propounded in ancient Indian Philosophy. These includes: (i) Tej (Energy from the Sun), (ii) Marut (Energy from the Wind), (iii) Ap (Energy from the Water), (iv) Kshiti (Energy from the Earth) and (v) Byom (Exploration of space).

A number of energy systems / devices / exhibits such as - a 'Solar Hut' which impress upon the visiting public the possible use of solar energy in our daily life, wind mill and turbine, geothermal energy, biogas plant, biomass gasifier, on-shore and off-shore petroleum rigs, Petroleum Christmas tree, petro-room, ocean thermal energy converter, (OTEC), wave power, Sardar Sarovar Dam along with energy games and ride have been installed in the Energy Park to have a hands on experience and meaningful learning about the energy sources and its judicious use.

Along with the exhibits, the Energy Education Park is also a place for programmes and activities for the students, teachers and the general visito