The Durban University of Technology in collaboration with the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) recently embarked on a five-week educational road-trip Energy Drive to raise awareness about climate change and renewable energy.
The Energy Drive began on Wednesday, 1 September 2021, with the team visiting several schools in the Eastern Cape, headed down to Western Cape and ended in the Northern Cape on Thursday, 23 September 2021. The energyDRIVE truck will thereafter be exhibited at the WindAc Africa and Windaba conferences that will be held next week from Tuesday to Friday, 5th to 8th October 2021 at the Cape Town International Conference Centre.
In their journey, travelling with the energyDRIVE truck, the team visited schools, Wind Farms as well as Solar Farms, along the route. It comes after the fantastic support and positive outcomes of the last two Energy Drives. This project was launched by DUT and its partners in 2016.
The energyDRIVE truck includes installed features such as a solar roof structure, wind turbine mounting system, biogas digester, photovoltaic panel display unit as well as a solar hot water display unit. The walls of the container are occupied by a battery bank, photovoltaic components, TV and display cupboards. It also features interactive demonstration models, alternative solar energy displays wall units, and an energy efficiency unit. The truck makes it easy to reach disadvantages learners from the rural areas who lack resources to acquire information about these projects.
The energyDrive is aiming to promote renewables as alternative sources of energy to fossil fuels. The intention is also to promote the green economy and energy solutions by improving the understanding of climate change related issues and the different renewable energy resources.
The team used the truck to demonstrate to the learners how natural renewable energy technologies can be used, to highlight the advantages of renewable energy, to get learners interested in alternative energy and to promote skills training courses in green energy.
For more information on the energyDrive truck please click on the link: WindAc Africa 2021 | Energy Drive 2021 (windac-africa.co.za)
Pictured: The energyDrive team.
Picture credit: WindAc Africa.
Simangele Zuma
