Prague/Czech Republic. Today the 2015 European Solar Prize was awarded in a solemn frame at the Waldstein Palace in Prague. This year, EUROSOLAR honored twelve nominees from seven different countries. The ceremony took place at the house of the Senate of the Czech Republic along with the Czech Solar Prize presentation.
In addition to the award presentation, an international panel debated the ‘European Energy Future’. Consensus was found on the fact that the transition to renewable energy sources has to be the primary focus of a European energy policy to reduce the dependency on energy imports, eradicate social and economical imbalances and to prevent climate change. The specific experiences from different countries showed, that a successful transition to renewable energies has to be decentralized. To enable well working local energy markets the European framework conditions have to be redefined.
The contributions reinforce EUROSOLAR’s ‘Global Call for a New Energy Market Order (NEMO)’. The proposal, which asks European legislators to emphasize the potential of the energy transition instead of misrepresenting it as a burden, can be retrieved at: http://www.eurosolar.de/en/index.php/media-mainmenu-61/press-releases-mainmenu-17/690-global-call-for-a-new-energy-market-order-nemo
Promising examples of actors, who illustrate that the European energy transition is already successfully being put into practice ‘from below‘, are this year’s award winners. ‘The amount and quality of the innovations and achievements is particularly encouraging this year. European legislation can only stimulate this development further by strategic political actions such as setting incentives on a local and regional level’, emphasized Prof. Peter Droege, President of EUROSOLAR. ‘The different physiographical, economical and societal conditions require a decentralized energy transition and market freedoms such as the liberation from the chains of obscene fossil- and nuclear subsidies’.
The energy transition is particularly burdensome in those EU member states, which still rely heavily on fossil and nuclear energy sources. Milan Smrž, President of EUROSOLAR Czech Republic underlined that ‘the accomplishments of the Pro Guben association and the municipality of Kněžice should receive particular acknowledgements. Due to the country-specific policies and the prevailing reliance on conventional power generation in Poland and the Czech Republic, these nominees take an exemplary role in their countries.’
The European Solar Prize 2015 was awarded to the following projects in eight different categories:
Towns, municipalities, council districts, public utilities
Energy self-sufficient community Kněžice, Czech Republic
Outstanding commitment and role model function for renewable development in the Czech Republic. www.obec-knezice.cz
SUNSTORE 3, Dronninglund Fjernvarme, Denmark
First demonstration of a full scale renewable heating concept with solar and seasonal storage in Denmark. www.dronninglundfjernvarme.dk
Solar architecture and urban planning
Aktiv-Stadthaus, ABG Frankfurt Holding, Germany
Centrally located building with 74 units which is currently the first and largest inner-city residential building to meet the energy-efficiency-plus housing standard. www.abg-fh.com
238% Plus-Energy-Building, Cavigelli Engineers, Switzerland
Innovative technological energy concept with a self-sufficiency of 283%. www.cavigelli.ch
Ghella Office, RicciSpaini Architetti Associati, Alberto Raimondi, Italy
Energetic transformation of a heritage-protected building with keeping the original design. www.riccispaini.it
Industrial and commercial companies or farmers
SOLARier – Gesellschaft für erneuerbare Energie, Austria
Longstanding commitment for the use of ecofriendly energy systems on private buildings in Austria. www.solarier.net
Local or regional associations/organizations
Pro Guben – Verein für Energie und Umwelt, Germany
Outstanding effort for the use of renewable energy across borders and their fight against the Lausitz coal mine. www.proguben.de
Owners and operators of renewable energy installations
131% Plus-Energy-Buildung Refurbishment, Hardegger Immobilien, Switzerland
Plus-energy-building refurbishment which inserts structually into the historic townscape and its exemplary energy production, fulfilling the requirements for an energy revolution.
Transport and Mobility
ElectriCity, City of Gothenburg, Sweden
Exemplary supply of public transport with renewable energy as part of a cooperation between city, industry and science. www.goteborgelectricity.se
Solar Excavator, Affentranger Bau, Switzerland
World’s first 16-tons-solar excavator with electric motor and an energy supply from a PV-system on the operational building. www.affentrangerbauag.ch
Education and vocational training
Geothermal system in the Egyptian Museum of Turin, PROECO e Onleco, Italy
Conservation of the historic artwork through conditioning with the use of clean and renewable energy. www.onleco.com
Special prize for personal achievement
Kent Skaanning, Denmark
Great Commitment for renewable energy as a pioneer of biogas and spokesman in Denmark.
Since 1994 EUROSOLAR awards the European Solar Prize for extraordinary commitment for renewable energy and a sustainable lifestyle. The accomplishments of this year’s laureates raise public awareness for the necessity and opportunities that accompany the energy transition.
The European Solar Prize was initiated by winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize and founder of EUROSOLAR Dr. Hermann Scheer. The prize honors municipalities, enterprises, associations, journalists and individuals for their dedication to the transformation of the energy system towards sustainability.
