The European Solar Prize 2020: Changemakers of the renewable decade

Press release, 2 December 2020

Bonn (Germany). The European Solar Prize 2020 was awarded to nine laureates fighting for the energy revolution. Today EUROSOLAR awarded the European Solar Prize to actors from seven different nations. The prize winners in the categories Municipalities, Solar architecture, Industry, Regional associations, Mobility, Media and Education are contributing to the regenerative and decentralised energy supply in Europe with their outstanding projects.

The prize was awarded, for example, to an island community that owns, manages and maintains a stand-alone energy grid, supplying all residents with renewable electricity, to a film director who raises awareness of the ecological and social impact of coal power and to a social business that makes biogas available to remote rural households in Africa.

For EUROSOLAR President and Chairman of the Jury, Prof. Peter Droege, the award-winning projects are perfect examples of the ongoing energy system transformation: "Today’s winners demonstrate how the world can become fully renewable, a generative reality - wonderful ambassadors of the Regenerative Earth Decade EUROSOLAR 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 Germany and winner of the German Solar Prize, emphasised the significance of renewable energy for climate protection. “Solar energy and wind energy as team players plus battery storage not only secure a decentralised energy 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”, Kemfert stated. “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 live this year. The unusual circumstances did not affect the enthusiasm of the winners who proudly presented their Solar Prize Cups to the camera. In previous years the award ceremony took place in Vienna, Barcelona and Prague. Since 1994, the prize has been awarded 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 dedication and inventiveness of regional players and provides new impetus for a regenerative and decentralised energy revolution in Europe.

The European Solar Prize 2020 was awarded to nine laureates:

Category: Towns, municipalities, council districts, public utilities
Isle of Eigg, Scotland
For its community owned, managed and maintained stand alone energy grid, which supplies all residents with electricity from renewable energy sources

Category: Solar architecture and urban planning
FELIX PARTNER Architektur und Design, Switzerland
For transforming the 350-year-old Engadine building ensemble into a traditional yet modern zero-energy house

Category: Industrial and commercial companies or farmers
Camping Car, S.L., Spain
For creating the eco-friendly camping bungalow resort La Ballena Alegre, Costa Brava

Category: Local or regional associations / organisations
Lake Constance Foundation, Germany
For their versatile work and reliable commitment to renewable energies for over 25 years and counting

Category: Transport and mobility
Ærø Municipality, Denmark
For the electric ferry ELLEN, which demonstrates the great potential of green electric mobility in shipping

Category: Media
Platform against Nuclear Hazards Salzburg (PLAGE), Austria
For campaign work on the dangers of nuclear energy and the new short video "Quit EURATOM"

Johanna Jaurich, Germany
For raising awareness of the ecological and social impact of coal power with her film "My future without coal – Three people, one story"

Category: Education and vocational training
School Roof Revolution, Netherlands
For supporting and facilitating the installation of PV systems on all suitable roofs of Dutch schools

Category: One World Cooperation
Social Business (B)Energy, Germany
For making biogas available to remote rural households through mobile biogas technology

More information: www.eurosolar.org

Notes for press editors
Pictures of the award winners can be found in our dropbox

Contact
EUROSOLAR e.V. – European Association for Renewable Energy
Julia Broich
phone: +49 (0) 228 289 1449
sp@eurosolar.de |www.eurosolar.org