As South Africa ramps up its transition to renewable energy and joins countries across the globe to push the Climate Agenda, the relevance and importance of educating school learners about this clean source of energy is becoming increasingly important.  This is the impetus behind the country’s wind power sector supporting the EnergyDRIVE for the fourth year, having already actively engaged with an estimated 4 000 learners since 2017. 

School learners across South Africa’s green energy map will once again welcome the much loved mobile edu-unit, EnergyDRIVE, a partnership between the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) and the Durban University of Technology (DUT). Although being promoted by the wind energy association, this initiative stretches across the renewable technologies, to include communities within the vicinity of solar farms as well. This means that other technology partners and stakeholders who have a national footprint are also able to get involved.

“High school learners are at the stage where they’ll be making study and career choices, they are also leaders and decisions makers of tomorrow, hence the programme promotes renewable energy and climate change awareness.  The programme effectively demonstrates and imparts knowledge to learners across communities, about the benefits and uses of clean energy technologies,” said Niveshen Govender, CEO of SAWEA. 

With the intention of increasing awareness to create a generation of well-informed decision-makers that can play an essential role in increasing adaptation and mitigation capacities of communities, whilst empowering youth to adopt sustainable lifestyles, the EnergyDRIVE will be making its way across at least three of the country’s provinces. 

With the conviction that education is an essential element of the global response to climate change, as it helps increase climate literacy, especially among young people, the EnergyDRIVE encourages changes in attitudes and behaviour.  Designed to be interactive, enticing and educational, it features a solar roof structure, biogas digester, photovoltaic panel display unit as well as a solar hot water display unit. The walls of the container are made up of a battery bank, photovoltaic components, a TV and display cupboards, making it an inspirational and experiential teaching aid.