European Solar Prize 2018 awarded to eight winners
Eight ground-breaking projects for the energy revolution. The prize winners from the fields of education, urban planning, architecture, social affairs and industry are making a contribution to the regenerative and decentralised energy supply in Europe with forward-looking projects.
The prize was awarded, for example, for a production hall in Switzerland with a perfectly integrated photovoltaic system to meet the energy needs for the airplane production, a solar electric car ferry operating on the Mosel on the German-Luxembourgian border and for the Israeli-Palestinian NGO Comet-ME. It supplies around 4,000 people in Palestine who have no access to the supply grid with renewable energy and clean water.
For EUROSOLAR President and Chairman of the Jury, Prof. Peter Droege, the award-winning projects are examples of a functioning energy system transformation in a wide variety of application areas. “The consequences of climate change are now more visible than ever and the urgency to combat it is at its peak. Therefore I am glad that today we were able to honour people who are working on solutions for local and regional energy system transformations. Whether it is a community, industry or student competition: all prize winners have innovations in common that are practical and sustainable. Their projects serve as forward-looking examples of renewable energies in Europe,” said Prof. Droege.
In his welcoming address Reinhard Limbach, Deputy Mayor of the City of Bonn, emphasised the significance of cities and regions to achieve the climate targets in Europe. “If we want to reach the goals as laid down in the Paris Climate Agreement, we need a successful and sustainable energy transition. But the agreement cannot be implemented by nations alone. Cities and regions have an immensely important role to play. They have been drivers for innovation in the past and will continue to be in the future”, Limbach said.
The European Solar Prize 2018 was awarded to eight laureates:
Category: Towns, municipalities, council districts, public utilities
• Le Mené, France | www.mene.fr
Outstanding commitment and holistic approach to covering the community’s energy needs with 100 % renewables generated on a local scale.
Category: Solar architecture and urban planning
• Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, Switzerland | www.pilatus-aircraft.com
Architecturally perfect integrated solar plant on an industrial hall to meet the energy needs of the aircraft production.
Category: Industrial and commercial companies or farmers
• S&H Connect GmbH, Austria | www.shconnect.at
Successful concept for exploiting the potential of using solar energy on the roofs of municipal facilities and industrial buildings.
Category: Local or regional associations / organisations
• Low Carbon Hub, United Kingdom | www.lowcarbonhub.org
Pioneering model of a citizen-driven, social enterprise that enables a community-owned renewable energy supply in Oxfordshire.
Category: Owners and operators of renewable energy installations
• Plus-Energy-Settlement Zentrum Tobel, Switzerland | zentrumtobel.ch
Trend-setting example of the social and economic integration of tenants into the use of solar energy.
Category: Transport and Mobility
• Ostseestaal GmbH & Co. KG, Germany | ostseestaal.com
Solar Electric Car Ferry ‘Sankta Maria II’ as visionary example of emission-free water transport and wakeup call for the European ship industry.
Category: Education and vocational training
• Energy Endeavour Foundation, Netherlands | energyendeavour.org
Stewarding the Solar Decathlon Europe, the far-reaching student competition to raise awareness in the field of innovative and resource-responsible architecture with a political effect in Europe and the U.S.
Category: One World Cooperation
• Comet-ME, Israel | comet-me.org
Outstanding commitment in the sustainable electrification of marginalized communities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
