Premiere Academy wins FCT’s renewable energy solution contest

…beats nine other finalists to win the prestigious STEAM competition

In a remarkable display of innovation, students of Premiere Academy have emerged champions of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) renewable energy solution contest, with their innovative renewable energy solution christened Premiere Academy Smart Solar Mini Grid (PASS G)

Their winning project stood out for its practicality, originality, and potential to drive sustainable energy adoption within local communities.

Chris Akinsowon, the school’s principal, while congratulating the students on the outstanding performance, said the recognition was another testimony to the tradition of excellence, ethics, and teamwork, which offers Premiere Academy students the solid springboard to be able to rub shoulders with the best of their contemporaries globally in any positive field of human endeavour.

Akinsowon pledged that the school would continue to help students access and explore all opportunities to give them the right exposure to cutting-edge technological skills and knowledge in tune with global trends and aspirations.

Okoro Chinedu, the team mentor, commenting on the significance of the award to the students and the school in general, described the project as a transformative technology-driven solution aimed at redefining the future of sustainable renewable energy provision and consumption in Nigeria and across the African continent.

“The outstanding achievement further proves the culture of resilience, innovation, and unwavering dedication which has remained the school’s driving force in its two decades of existence with the mandate to contribute to raising a community of future leaders that will seek to enhance a better, smarter, and greener world,” Chinedu said.

According to their assessment, “Premiere Smart Solar Mini Grid is built on open-source platforms, which makes the system cost-effective, easy to replicate, and designed to empower local communities with access to reliable and clean energy.

“The innovation combats energy theft, promotes responsible energy consumption, and provides sustainable electricity to remote areas.”

The School beat nine other finalists to win the prestigious STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) competition, where schools design and showcase innovative energy model projects that can power a community, promote sustainability, or solve local energy challenges.

The Battle of Energy Titans (BE-TITANS) Contest is the flagship event of the annual Youth Eco Summit Nations Festival (YES-NAFEST).

The competition’s eight-member team of expert judges included representatives of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Association of Professional Women in Engineering in Nigeria (APWEN), National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), as well as the SSA to the President on Students Engagement, among others.

The Premiere Academy’s winning project is a scalable, affordable, and offline-ready renewable energy solution designed for underserved African communities.

The design integrates a Smart prepaid metering system with a solar-powered mini grid, using low-power hardware like the ESP 32 microcontroller and the PZEM-004T energy meters.

The judges who unanimously scored the entry as the most outstanding entry praised its innovative ability to ensure efficient energy use without relying on constant internet connectivity.