June 2021.

Global Wind Day 2021 coincided with and Youth Day, making it the perfect day for a group of learners from Noupoort Combined School and Enoch Mthetho High School, to enjoy a visit to Noupoort Wind Farm.

These schools participated in a competition, which forms part of an ongoing STEM schools’ focus and the ‘Clean Energy, Brighter Future’ programme, which was launched in 2016 and continues to work alongside local schools to broaden their understanding and experience of clean, green energy, with an emphasis on wind power.

“This celebration auspiciously overlaps with Youth Day each year, honouring with the country’s commemoration, as well as the world annual Global Wind Day. We believe it is important that learners understand what wind energy is about, how it benefits our country, the environment and specifically the local community,” explained Noupoort Economic Development Manager, Sandisiwe Mntonintshi.

Global Wind Day (GWD) overlaps South Africa’s 2021 National Environment Month. During June, the government focuses raising awareness of the importance of protecting our environment, biodiversity and natural heritage as well as looking at how every South African can play a role in environmental conservation.

About Global Wind Day: GWD is a worldwide event that occurs annually on 15 June. It is a day for discovering wind, its power and the possibilities it holds to change our world. In more than 80 countries worldwide, wind farms are in operation, generating energy from a clean and renewable source. Here is a short outline of how wind turbines can transform free wind into electricity that powers our homes:

When the wind blows, wind energy is converted to mechanical energy through the turning turbine blades.

• The turbine blades transfer this mechanical energy via the shaft and gearbox (the large box on top) to the electrical generator that turns the mechanical energy into electrical energy.
• This electrical energy is then made grid compatible.
• The grid compatible energy is fed from the Wind Turbines via a network of underground cables across the wind farm to the project substation. The substation forms the connection point between our “local” wind farm grid and Eskom’s national grid.
• Eskom’s grid then “supplies” this energy to the consumers.