Complete Report - University of New South Wales

ARCPHOTOVOLTAICSCENTRE OFEXCELLENCE2010/11ANNUAL REPORT5.6 Promotional ActivitiesThe Centre regularly participates in promotionalactivities organised by the Faculty of Engineeringand UNSW Student Recruitment. These events areimportant for increasing awareness and interest inthe Centre’s educational and research programs.5.6.1 The Shi’s Family CharitableFoundation and The SydneyTheatre CompanyThe School has been a major participant in theSydney Theatre Company’s high-profile “Greeningthe Wharf” project that is improving the waterefficiency and greenhouse gas impact of the WharfTheatre, at Walsh Bay. UNSW, in consultation withthe Shi’s Family Charitable Foundation has agreedthat the STC’s “Greening the Wharf” project is aproject suitable to showcase the Pluto technologyas an example of UNSW and Suntech’s researchexcellence. The School contributed $2m, donatedby the Shi’s Family Charitable Foundation, towardsthe establishment of a 380kW pgrid-connectedphotovoltaic array on the Wharf’s roof, completedand opened in December 2010. The balance offunding for the $4 million project was raised bySydney Theatre Company from The Commonwealthceremony with Federal Minister for Climate Changeand Water Penny Wong and Federal EnvironmentMinister Peter Garrett, Mrs Vivienne Shi, UNSWChancellor David Gonski, Scientia Professor MartinGreen and Dr Richard Corkish.5.6.2 Print and Broadcast MediaStudent recruitment advertisements werealso placed in the HSC Survival Magazine, theHSC Change of Preference Guide, and the HSCUniversities Advisory and Information Day Guide.Media mentions of the School and the Centrebecame more frequent in 2010 as communityinterest in climate change and renewable energyissues grew.5.6.3 UNSW Information DayLocal undergraduate students must apply foradmission to UNSW programs through theUniversities Admissions Centre (UAC), and the firstweek of January is the final opportunity for studentsto change their preferences for entry to universityprograms. Therefore, the university hosted aninformation day in January 2010 to assist studentsobtain information to finalise their preferences.School administrative and academic staff attendedthis event and talked to many prospective studentswho were unsure of their career direction. Studentsreceived information on our programs and hadthe opportunity to ask questions of staff. A finalround of interviews for the Faculty of EngineeringAdmissions Scheme (FEAS) was carried out on thesame day.Pictured at the launch of the WharfTheatre’s rooftop PV array are,(left-right):Dr. Richard Corkish,Head of School; Mr GeorgeMaltabarow, Managing Director,EnergyAustralia; The Hon. FrankSartor, NSW Minister for ClimateChange and the Environment;The Hon. Tony Burke MP, FederalMinister for Sustainability,Environment Water, Populationand Communities; Senator TheHon Don Farrell, ParliamentarySecretary for Sustainability andUrban Water; Cate Blanchett,Artistic co-Director, Sydney TheatreCompany; Dr Zhengrong Shi, CEOof Suntech Power Holdings; MrsVivienne Shi, Director, Shi’s FamilyCharity; Andrew Upton, Artistic co-Director, Sydney Theatre Company.(Image produced by and used withpermission of AAP).Government’s Green Precincts Fund, NSWGovernment’s Public Facilities Program, corporatesponsor Energy Australia and philanthropists.The project grew from two sources. Firstly, Dr ShiZhengrong, CEO of Suntech Power, expresseda wish to make a gift to UNSW and to Sydneyfor helping him start his successful career inphotovoltaics and to use it as a promotional tool.This led to a study of several prominent sites inSydney and a pre-feasibility study, carried out asa final year thesis project by Samantha Wong. Inparallel, Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton, theArtistic Directors of the Sydney Theatre Company,were seeking opportunities to generate a significantpart of the Company’s energy from renewablesources. Bringing the two ideas together led tothe official launch in July 2009 of the project at a5.6.4 UNSW Courses and Careers DayUNSW Courses and Careers Day is the annualinformation day, held in the first week ofSeptember, for prospective students to obtaininformation about programs and student life atthe university. As part of this day students andacademic and administrative staff from the Schoolprovided advice and information to prospectivestudents from information desks in the Roundhouseand in a marquee in the UNSW Quad, nearby theSunsprint model solar car race finals. This year,the weather was, unfortunately, far from ideal forthe 2010 event. During the day Dr Alistair Sproulpresented two public lectures about the School’sand Centre’s programs as part of the lecture seriesorganised centrally by the university.5.6.5 Faculty of Engineering InformationDay for High School StudentsEach year the Faculty of Engineering organisesan information day to give high school studentsand their teachers an opportunity to learn aboutengineering and the programs offered at UNSW.As part of the day students visit three engineeringschools of their choice and engage in interactiveactivities aimed at demonstrating the relevantengineering area. Once again in 2010 the demandto attend this event was so great that two HighSchools Days were required, with the Schoolrunning several tours.116