NBCS student installs his own renewable energy system during HSC exams 

Straight after sitting his HSC Advanced English exam in October, Northern Beaches Christian School student Ben Lenehan headed to the Hunter Valley where he installed his own renewable energy system into a new house set to appear on Grand Designs Australia.  

The installation capped an extraordinary year for the 18-year-old founder of Watergate Labs, a renewable-tech startup that develops technology to turn water into electricity.  

The idea began in Year 10 when Ben created a working prototype of a renewable energy power panel that runs on moisture in the air. Since then, his company has grown through access to UNSW postgraduate labs, where Ben works with a small team, which includes his brother Oliver, who is an engineering student at UNSW. In 2025, Watergate Labs was accepted into the Federal Government’s Industry Growth Program, giving Ben and his team a climate-tech adviser and pathways to significant grant funding.  

On his final day at Northern Beaches Christian School, Ben also took out second place in the UNSW Peter Farrell Cup start-up competition, beating more than 600 applicants to receive $10,000 and attract valuable industry attention. 

“The competition connected me with leading founders, the UNSW Vice Chancellor, and Startmate, a prominent startup accelerator,” he says.  

Ben with teachers Thomas Levin and Candice Gibson at the Peter Farrell Cup.

The exposure for Ben’s renewable technology through an upcoming episode of Grand Designs Australia came about when a homeowner read about his start-up in a local newspaper earlier in the year. 

“He invited us to install our system in the new house that was set to appear on Grand Designs Australia,” Ben says.

Having installed the technology, he now monitors its performance remotely on his phone, using an app he built. “Everything went smoothly and it’s all working well so far,” he says. “The system is stable, and I can monitor its performance through a dashboard that shows the power output, current and voltage.”  

The technology itself has evolved over the past two years, shifting from a humidity-based system to a more stable design using an external water source.

“The goal’s still the same: renewable 24/7 power generation,” Ben says. “But the product has evolved. We found our humidity-to-electricity system worked well for low-power applications but struggled beyond 50 watts. So, we changed to using an external water supply – which adds a small cost but makes it more stable and reliable.  

Ben describes himself as leaning more toward engineering than science – “if it works, it works,” he says, crediting a lifelong love of building things, and a large Lego collection. He also draws motivation from within: “Your idea of success is yours alone. I have a vivid vision of my company’s logo on top of a skyscraper.”  

Reflecting on his time at NBCS, Ben says, “School taught me that when you put in the hard work, you see results – not just in marks, but in understanding. That mindset really matters in business. I was supported by my teachers to pursue non-traditional projects and that boosted my confidence. It taught me the value of having a genuine support network.”  

Ben studied Chemistry, Physics, Business Studies, English Advanced and Maths Advanced for the HSC, and will begin a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree majoring in Renewable Energy next year, likely part-time as he continues building Watergate Labs.  He says the HSC was always a priority and provided a valuable learning opportunity.   

“Amongst some young entrepreneurs there’s a bit of stigma around school, like it’s not important. Throw it away, because you’ll become a millionaire anyway. That’s not my opinion,” he explains. “I think the HSC is an opportunity to learn, get your ATAR and then take that further, perhaps go to university, where there are new opportunities. If you throw it away, that’s an opportunity gone.”   

Next up, Ben is planning some overseas travel before he begins the next chapter of an already remarkable journey.  

You can follow Ben’s progress on his website: https://www.watergatelabs.com/ 

Watch Ben’s pitch at the 2025 Peter Farrell Cup here.