This study aims to identify secondary school students' level of awareness of renewable energy sources. The study's method combined quantitative and qualitative research techniques. A five-point Likert scale was developed to quantitatively measure awareness of these energy sources. The scale was analysed for validity and reliability, and it addressed cognitive and affective sub-dimensions of awareness. A semi structured interview form was developed for the qualitative part of the study. Two sample groups were chosen for the study. The sample group for the quantitative part comprised 600 secondary school students; for the qualitative part, 5% of the sample (n = 30) were randomly selected to interviews. The results revealed that the students' awareness of renewable energy sources was at an intermediate level and there was a significant correlation between their cognitive and affective awareness. Furthermore, there were significant differences in the participants' grade level, field of study, source of information, and awareness of renewable energy sources. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.