An education in climate change for the next generation

Students from the Moree Secondary College in New South Wales, Australia were invited for an educational tour of Moree Solar Farm last week, to learn about the impact of climate change – and how renewable energy solutions can support in mitigating a potential climate crisis.

Two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions currently come from energy-related sources – making the transition to sustainable energy the determinant factor in tackling climate change. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA):

“Avoiding the worst effects of global warming will require us to source at least 85 per cent of global power from renewables, with a minimum of two thirds of total energy from renewable sources – wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, bioenergy and the burgeoning tidal technology – by 2050.” 

 Recognizing that education is an essential element of the global response to climate change, the tour of Moree Solar Farm was organized by Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) to help the students to not only understand the impact of global warming, but to provide a practical insight into how solar photovoltaic energy works and why it should be considered as an alternative – and preferred – source of power generation.

Owned by FRV, a global leader in the development of utility-scale renewable energy projects, Moree Solar Farm is one of six solar projects developed by the company in Australia. Spanning a vast site of 287 hectares in northern New South Wales, the 56 MW dc capacity farm can produce up to 146,180 MWh of clean energy every year, which is enough to power around 24,000 Australian households.

At the end of the tour, students were asked to summarize the simple steps they could, themselves, take at home to become more energy efficient and reduce their own carbon footprints:

Video shared with kind permission from Moree Secondary College.