ENERGYDRIVE VISITS WEST COAST SCHOOL

21 September 2021.

The custom-built EnergyDRIVE truck is visiting schools in the towns of Vredenburg and Hopefield, engaging with high school learners, over a two day period, to teach them about the benefits of renewable energy technologies. This leg of the edu-bus’s three week long trip is funded and supported by Umoya Energy Wind Farm, the landmark wind farm on the West Coast of the Western Cape. In addition, the Wind Farm is opening its gates to host a field trip for learners from Hopefield Primary School and Louwville High School.

“We are particularly excited about welcoming learners onto our wind farm, so that they can feel the impact of a first-hand experience in addition to all the fantastic features displayed on the EnergyDRIVE truck, such as the solar roof structure, biogas digester, photovoltaic panel display unit and solar hot water display unit, enabling them to fully grasp the benefits and uses of renewable energy technologies,” said Veronique Isaacs, Project Community Operations Officer for Umoya Energy Wind Farm.

The EnergyDRIVE includes attractive interactive demonstration models to raise awareness of renewable power resources as well as addressing the important issues associated with climate change, bringing home the impact of environmental concerns that plague our country and the rest of the world.

The 2021 EnergyDRIVE kicked off its trip, leaving its base at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) on 1 September and will wrap up its journey three weeks later, having reached many hundreds of learners across the country’s green energy map. This is the third time that the edu-vehicle has made this journey, since its inaugural 2017 trip. It has already reached almost 3 000 learners, in Grade 9 to 12 and is a result of a partnership between the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) and the (DUT), who consider high school learners to be the leaders and decision makers of tomorrow.

This programme forms part of Umoya Energy Wind Farm’s broader socio-economic development initiative, which has a strong focus on education.