More than 120 students from Vocational Training. Secondary and Baccalaureate students took part in IMDEA Energía’s activities on the occasion of Science and Innovation Week 2022.

Over four days (15, 16, 17 and 18 November), students and teachers visited the centre’s facilities to learn more about the research work being carried out and to take part in the workshops organised by researchers and investigators.

Thus, on 15 and 16 September, a biofuels workshop was held in which the participants were able to produce their own biodiesel on a laboratory scale from vegetable oil using the transesterification process and to quantify the formation of the synthesised biofuel using an analytical technique, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

They also enjoyed an interactive board game to analyse the advantages and disadvantages and opportunities and disadvantages of the integration of electric car batteries into the electricity grid and got to know the pilot plants for pyrolysis, photosynthetic microorganisms and electrochemical devices through several guided visits.

On the 17th and 18th the pupils made their own solar cell using porous titania and some ingredients easily found in everyday life, such as dyes and fruits. In this way they were able to understand the function of each material and the basic mechanism of the cell, as well as using these concepts in the understanding of artificial photosynthesis and the importance of using porous materials to accelerate the process and its implication in the applicability of these technologies.

They also tested their knowledge of the energy crisis in a participatory quiz in which they jointly analysed why they are important tools in the current energy crisis.

Finally, they took part in a CSP workshop with various explanations and demonstrations about CSP conversion.