EUROSOLAR Awards European Solar Prize 2021/22

“Inspiring for the rest of the world”: Outstanding examples for a Regenerative Europe

Amsterdam/Bonn. EUROSOLAR, the European Association for Renewable Energy e.V., and its Dutch section have awarded the European Solar Prize 2021/22 in Amsterdam. The ten winners range from the City of Paris for its pioneering role as a European capital in pursuing a comprehensive regenerative action program, to the Swiss NGO Solafrica for promoting useful solar energy projects across Africa. By awarding this prize, EUROSOLAR highlights the enormous potential that has to be realized rapidly to move towards a climate positive society and economy. The Prize is a flagship program in EUROSOLAR’s Regenerative Europe Decade.

The winner projects are outstanding examples of the innovative spirit and commitment of individual actors who make a significant contribution in the transition to decentralized renewable energy supply across Europe.

In her welcoming address, Marieke van Doorninck, Amsterdam Alderwoman for Sustainability and Spatial Development, expressed her delight in the Dutch capital being host to the European Solar Prize for 2021/22: “In Amsterdam and the Netherlands we are proud of our renewable energy achievements, projects and their creators. We need all these innovators, all these dreamers – and we need them to be inspiring for the rest of the population and also for the rest of the world.”

Prof. Peter Droege, Chairman of the Jury and President of EUROSOLAR, moderated the award ceremony, addressed the winners and pointed out the importance of their contributions: “100% renewable energy communities, buildings, companies and farms are the essential base on which to found climate positive action. Rather than only aiming at climate neutrality Europe has to help lower GHG concentration systematically – and for this we need exactly the work that is premiated here – and have to promote it at the highest level.”

Bas Eickhout, Founding Member of EUROSOLAR NL and Member of the European Parliament, stressed: “It is so crucial to getting the right policies in place – in order to make sure that all the projects, we are seeing here, can be developed further. This is what we need! The real work is being done by all of you, and the Prize reflects this so well.”

During the award ceremony, the winner projects were presented through interviews, presentations and films. EUROSOLAR TV, the video channel of EUROSOLAR, has made the ceremony available at www.eurosolar.org.

The European Solar Prize is sponsored by the C&U Baumeister-Foundation for Sustainable Technology and in 2021/22 also by Energie Samen, the national organization for energy cooperatives in the Netherlands.

The winners of the European Solar Prize 2021/22

Category: Towns, municipalities, council districts, public utilities

• City of Paris, France

for its pioneering role as a capital in climate action, pursuing a wide and integrated program of regenerative projects

• Municipal Utilities Berlin, Germany

for its commitment to advancing the energy transition across Berlin, in tenant power, green electricity and city-wide renewable energy projects

Category: Solar architecture and urban planning

• Bildungscampus Seestadt Aspern, Austria

for the successful creation of a climate-active educational campus

Category: Industrial and commercial companies or farmers

• SUSI Partners, Switzerland

for their pioneering contribution in exclusively financing the energy transition through renewable energy projects, efficiency improvements and energy storage systems

Category: Local or regional associations / organisations

• Thuisbaas, Netherlands

for showing renters and house owners how to switch from natural gas to renewable energy

Category: Owners and operators of renewable energy installations

• Ørsted, Denmark

For the successful transformation of the company's focus away from fossil

energy to 100% renewables

Category: Transport and mobility

• Funicular railroad Magglingen, Switzerland

for the innovative use of braking energy and photovoltaics

Category: Education and vocational training

• Eurac Research – Institute for Renewable Energy, Italy

for the “Historic Building Energy Retrofit Atlas” and its wider work for the energy transition

• EFdeN, Romania

for promoting sustainable development by educating the public in renewable energy and improving the energy performance of Romanian cities

Category: One World Cooperation

• Solafrica, Switzerland

for their commitment to the widespread use of solar energy for over 10 years, in Africa and other regions worldwide

Further information on the winning projects: The award brochure with detailed descriptions of the winning projects is available online here: https://www.eurosolar.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/broschure_winners_ESP2021-22.pdf

About the the European Solar Prize

The European Solar Prize is a flagship program in EUROSOLAR’s Regenerative Europe Decade. It is based on a long tradition: The European Solar Prize has been awarded for 28 years by EUROSOLAR in cooperation with its national sections to municipalities, municipal companies, associations and organizations, architects, journalists and private individuals. With the award, these innovative role models and committed pioneers are brought to the attention of the public and new impulses are given for a regenerative and decentralized energy transition in Europe. The European Solar Prize is awarded independently from and in addition to the national solar prizes awarded by EUROSOLAR’s sections.

The European Solar Prize is sponsored by the C&U Baumeister Foundation for Sustainable Technology.

About EUROSOLAR

EUROSOLAR, the European Association for Renewable Energy, is Europe’s leading independent and membership based non-profit organization for 100% Renewable Energy, pursuing it as the fundamental existential basis of a habitable planet. EUROSOLAR pushes for concrete political and economic action in the introduction of renewable energies. This ranges from market strategies to research and development policies, from tax policy subsidies to arms conversion with solar energy, from the contribution of solar energy to the Global South to agricultural, transport and construction policies. EUROSOLAR is the organizer of IRES, the leading scientific International Renewable Energy Storage and Systems Conference. Its global arm is the World Council for Renewable Energy.

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