ENERGYDRIVE ARRIVES IN THE EASTERN CAPE

September 2021.

The custom-built EnergyDRIVE truck is visiting the Eastern Cape and will engage with hundreds of high school learners, across eight different communities, to teach them about the benefits of renewable energy technologies. Cookhouse Wind Farm is one of the wind farms that have funded this road show, in addition to opening its gates to host a field trip for learners from Aeroville Secondary School, a local Somerset East school.

“The container features attractive interactive demonstration models which assist with understanding a range of renewable technologies, raises 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,” explained Tshepo Kgoloane, Community Operations Manager for Cookhouse Wind Farm.

Featuring a solar roof structure, biogas digester, photovoltaic panel display unit as well as a solar hot water display unit, the EnergyDRIVE teaches learners about the benefits and uses of renewable energy technologies.

The Eastern Cape is home to a large number of wind farms, making it an ideal first destination on the EnergyDRIVE’s route and the mobility of this custom-built vehicle makes it ideal to reach high schools situated within wind farm beneficiary communities. These communities are often located in areas that are not easily accessible and learners do not readably have access to information about these technologies.

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 Cookhouse Wind Farm’s broader socio-economic development initiative, which has a strong focus on education.