SSE Airtricity and W5 have marked Global Wind Day today with a demonstration of the power of wind for local school children. Hundreds of children from ten schools across Northern Ireland learned how to harness wind to create clean, green electricity.
Global Wind Day takes place every year on 15 June and is marked by events celebrating wind power across the world. It is a day for discovering wind energy, its power and the possibilities it holds to reshape energy systems, decarbonise economies and boost jobs and growth.
In 2016 SSE Airtricity became the official partner of the education programme at W5, which has seen a series of educational programmes for schools which promote the benefits of renewable energy. The W5 SSE Airtricity Education Programme, which is delivered in-centre in W5 as well as in the classroom through an Outreach Programme, places learning in context with hands-on, curriculum-linked workshops.
SSE Airtricity is Northern Ireland’s greenest home energy supplier and largest provider of wind power, operating 140MW of clean green energy through their wind farms in Northern Ireland, including Slieve Kirk and Tievenameenta.
Speaking at the event, Vicky Boden, SSE Airtricity, said:
“Global Wind Day is a chance for us all to celebrate how much has been done to improve how we generate electricity through clean, green wind power. More energy than ever is being produced in Northern Ireland though wind farms, with the latest figures showing more than 35% of our electricity needs coming from renewables. At SSE Airtricity we want to go even further, so that future generations, including all those taking part at W5 today can live with clean, sustainable energy.
“Today, on Global Wind Day at W5 hundreds of school children got the chance to learn exactly how we harness wind to make electricity and the great benefits this can bring. We are delighted that W5 has been able to help us celebrate Global Wind Day in this way and hopefully we will have inspired some renewable engineers of the future.”
Speaking at the event, Kelly Kinsley-Smith, W5, said:
“We’ve had a great day celebrating Global Wind Day with local schools, and our education partner SSE Airtricity. Wind energy is reshaping our energy systems and plays an increasingly important role in the way we power our world. Today, pupils enjoyed some hands-on and exciting activities as they learnt all about wind energy, its power and its possibilities.”
