Inspiring Conservation with Tech: DaysE Visits KilKenny Dojo

On Saturday, 19th November Colm Byrne director of the charity daysE paid a visit to Kilkenny CoderDojo to engage the ninjas in a workshop and discussing the important role of technology in the conservation of energy.

The workshop activities included discussions on:

• Energy efficiency and how some home appliances use a lot more energy than others,
• How energy is created and the effect on the environment,
• How by making small changes in behavior, we can reduce energy waste.
• How measured energy consumption reductions can be used to fund energy projects that can improve the lives of people who can’t afford energy.
• We explored the use of a daysE energy monitor that displays energy usage live on a web portal.
• Using the IOT daysE monitor, we switched on and off smart sockets and observed the difference in consumption between a 116w bulb and a modern energy efficient bulb.

 

Inspiring Ninjas

The discussion was followed by a Questions and Answers session initiated by the Ninjas.

The ninjas who are working with Kano and RaspberryPi were very interested in how the energy monitored worked. Colm explained that much of the functionality of the daysE energy monitor can be replicated with a RaspberryPI.

This demonstrates how the work of the Kilkenny CoderDojo PI ninjas has practical applications and the skill they are exploring are very useful, especially in the context of IOT.

Mentor James Savage:

“We invited Colm to the Dojo to talk about technology and how he has utilized it to help people understand their energy consumption. Our ninjas will be taking part in the Future Maker’s Awards and I know this workshop will have inspired them to use their skills to help their communities”.

A visit from someone like Colm will inspire the ninjas, he has created positive social change in his community through using his tech skills. This is a fantastic example for the ninjas and will inspire them to get involved in the future maker’s project.

 

About DaysE

The charity DaysE won the 2016 SEAI Innovation Award. Kilkenny CoderDojo were delighted that Colm accepted the invitation to host a daysE workshop at the Dojo. Colm talked about the amount of energy we waste today and the impact that the lack of energy can have on those who can’t afford it, and how he was motivated to create a model for people to donate their ‘energy waste’. This led to the creation of the charity daysE.

Thanks to all those who ensured the visit went so well. Hopefully we will see more social entrepreneurs like Colm, engaging with their local Dojo. Thereby ensuring children, particularly those who have been traditionally excluded from the sector, can gain real insight into STEM careers and feel inspired to continue creating tech into the future.

---

Are you a tech organisation that could help inspire youths at a Dojo in your area? Find your nearest on our Dojo map and contact them directly, or email: [email protected]