Second year Marine Engineering students from MITEC School of Boatbuilding and Marine Engineering have recently received a guided tour of the new solar energy project installed by The Green Electrician South Wales (TGESW).

Led by Tim James, energy development manager of Milford Haven Port and Mark West, operations manager of The Green Electrician South Wales, the tour provided a general introduction to photovoltaic technology and explained the recent £1.25m installation project with a specific focus on the systems on the MITEC Building and Phoenix Bowl at Milford Docks. The students also learned of the energy issues facing the Waterway and how renewable energy and energy efficiency will play a bigger part in the future of the Haven and the students' future careers.

Students were then guided through the health and safety requirements to gain access to construction sites including permits, risk assessments, method statements and contractor safety questionnaires before embarking on a tour of the 40.5 kWp MITEC system and the 100.8 kWp integrated system on Phoenix Bowl.

"Tim and Mark gave our engineering students a fascinating insight into most aspects of solar energy generation and then an informative tour of both the MITEC solar generation system and that of the adjacent Phoenix Bowl, including a tour of the roof of both buildings. Their knowledge and enthusiasm shone through and the students gained a thorough understanding of the logistics and design considerations of a large scale project which incorporates some of the latest technology in the growing field of harnessing renewable energy," said Malcolm York, MITEC centre manager, Pembrokeshire College.

Tim James commented: "It was a great opportunity to showcase the work we've done so far and to give the students some theoretical and practical knowledge on photovoltaics".

Mark West added: "The young people were free-thinking and enthusiastic and gave me great confidence in the next generation of industrial engineers."

The Green Electrician South Wales is a joint venture between Milford Haven Port Authority and The Green Electrician Limited and has seen the installation of over 2,000 solar PV panels on port buildings both in Pembroke Port and Milford Docks.