The $2.2 million Zayed Future Energy Prize is managed by Masdar in Abu Dhabi and according to this entity, is given to individuals, organisations and NGOs to “honour the legacy of environmental protection and concern for conservation established by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Late Ruler of Abu Dhabi and the Founding Father of the United Arab Emirates”.
The winner of this year’s prize will receive $1.5 million, and the global honour and recognition that come with winning the Zayed Future Energy Prize. While there will be only one winner, the jury and prize administration team reserve the right to also reward $350,000 to up to two additional finalists whose solutions warrant special recognition.
391 submissions were received for this year’s prize from 69 countries, of which six, four from the US, were selected for the final. The finalists are:
• Amory B Lovins, Chairman and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute in Colorado (US), for his ‘integrative design’ for energy efficiency in buildings;
• Barefoot College, a fully solar electrified College in India, training women in rural areas to contribute to solar energy development;
• E+Co, an investment company from New Jersey (US), pioneering clean energy investments in the developing world;
• First Solar of Arizona (US), for its commitment to solar energy and the development of more efficient thin-film solar modules;
• Terry Tamminen, CEO and Founder of the Seventh Generation Advisors, for developing renewable energy solutions in California (US); and
•Vestas of Denmark, for brining clean energy to developing countries.
In 2010, top prize went to Toyota Motor Corporation (see photo), the largest car company in the world, for in recognition of its work on hybrid vehicle technologies. The third generation Prius, for which Toyota ultimately won the Zayed Future Energy Prize, is the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle ever made. Its ground-breaking fuel efficiency system gets approximately 38 kilometres per litre of gasoline, far better than most other fuel efficient vehicles.
Since its introduction in 1997, the Prius has saved over seven million tonnes of carbon dioxide from polluting our atmosphere. Toyota has plans to implement its state of the art hybrid technology into its other car lines in the future, increasing its potential positive impact on our environment.
A runner-up prize was also awarded to Zhengrong Shi, Founder of Suntech Power Holdings Company. Suntech is now the world's largest manufacturer of silicon solar modules and has been a consistent leader in the solar industry, constantly improving the efficiency of its products. In 2009, Suntech announced that it had beaten all previous records for multi-crystalline silicon module conversion efficiency, and the company now guarantees its solar products to produce 6.7% more power than the industry standard.
Additionally, Suntech was involved in a number of innovative, high-profile projects during 2010, including providing solar panels for British Columbia's first net-zero home at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
A second runner-up prize was given to Amitabha Sadangi, CEO of International Development Enterprises India (IDEI) , to recognise this entity's efforts to provide long-term solutions to poverty, malnutrition, and hunger, while Sadangi has helped countless farmers in India increase their production and save over 500 million litres of diesel fuel, decreasing their carbon footprint by 1.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The awards ceremony will take place during the leading international conference and trade fair, World Future Energy Summit, running from 17 to 20 January 2011 in Abu Dhabi (UAE).
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