Changemakers of the renewabledecade
The European Solar Prize 2020 wasawarded to nine laureatesfighting for the energy revolution.Today EUROSOLAR awarded the European Solar Prizeto actors from sevendifferent nations.
The prize winners in the categoriesMunicipalities, Solar architecture,Industry, Regional associations, Mobility, Media and Education are contributingto the regenerative and decentralised energy supply in Europe with their outstandingprojects. The prize was awarded, for example,to an island community that owns, manages and maintains astand-aloneenergy grid, supplyingall residents with renewable electricity, to a film director who raises awareness of the ecological and social impact of coal powerand to a social business that makesbiogas available to remote rural householdsin Africa.
For EUROSOLAR President and Chairman of the Jury, Prof.Peter Droege, the award-winning projects are perfect examples of the ongoingenergy system transformation: “Today’s winners demonstrate how the world can become fully renewable, a generative reality -wonderful ambassadors of the Regenerative Earth DecadeEUROSOLAR calls for. In view of the manifest fossil climate threat, all central energy systems, including those based on nuclear resources, must be dismantled and replaced now, in a mobilization of all regenerative resources for a decentralized and renewable supply. For all those who still nurture hope of preserving life on earth, there is no alternative to end the burning of all fossil resources immediately -coal, natural gas and oil. EUROSOLAR’s European Solar Prize winners show how to do it”.
In her video message to the winners,Prof. Claudia Kemfert, renowned energy scientist from Germanyand winner of the German Solar Prize, emphasised the significanceof renewable energy for climate protection. “Solar energy and wind energy as team players plus battery storage not only secure a decentralisedenergy system but also create resilience, make us independent from fossil energy wars of any kind and can beat three crises with one stone: The energy crisis, the economic crisis and the climate crisis”, Kemfertstated.“We are, indeed at a time of a change. Corona has changed everything. But the new start out of the crisis can also be an opportunity. An opportunity for real change.”
Due to the pandemic, the award ceremony took place remotely and was streamed livethis year. Theunusualcircumstancesdid not affect the enthusiasm of the winnerswho proudly presented their Solar Prize Cupsto the camera.In previous years the award ceremony took place in Vienna, Barcelona and Prague. Since 1994, the prize has beenawarded annually to municipalities, municipal companies, associations and organisations, architects, journalists and private individuals in cooperation with the national sections of EUROSOLAR. The award recognises the dedicationand inventiveness of regional players and provides new impetus for a regenerative and decentralised energy revolutionin Europe.
- More information: www.eurosolar.org
