Thanks to the generosity of the renewable energy company Greencoat and the organisation Earth Energy Education, two groups of Springfield Year 8 students were able to take part in an in-school activity about renewable energy and circuits, followed by a trip to Lagness Solar Farm.

During the in-school workshops, Tracy from Earth Energy Education ran activities about the different kinds of renewable energy, with students identifying their advantages and disadvantages. They then built circults that connected a small solar panel with a buzzer or light and were able to use a multimeter to test the strength of the output in both volts and amps in different locations around the site. 

On Wednesday, 17 September, we travelled for a short visit to Lagness Solar Farm, near Chichester. Students walked amongst the panels and learned about the materials used to make them. They also looked at the convertor and learned about why the electricity is converted from DC to AC. Tracy then explained the importance of solar farms promoting biodiversity and ran an activity in which students counted how many different types of plants and animals they could find in a quadrant.

This visit allowed students to make links between classroom learning in Geography and Science but was also a chance to visit a workplace, something that the government is now promoting for students in Key Stage 3. We were able to hear a talk from the site’s engineer, Stan, about his career path from qualifying as an electrician to moving to the solar industry and managing the solar farm site. Other careers in renewables, including in finance and law, were also discussed. Overall, the experiences enhanced our students’ awareness of the importance of the renewable energy sector to future sustainability and the UK labour market.