The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy are seeking entries from local authorities that have made renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services more accessible. Entering the Ashden Awards for sustainable energy offers the chance to win promotional and publicity opportunities, as well as a cash prize for expansion, and engagement with decision-makers in the sector. The Awards will be presented at a VIP ceremony in London in June 2009. Applications forms are online now at www.ashdenawards.org/school_award.
The 2008 Ashden Local Authority Award was won by Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire, for its Fuelsavers programme, which is continually improving efficiency in a large housing stock. The programme developed a strategy which has improved the energy efficiency of housing by over 21% since 1996. It currently helps 25,000 households per year, providing major insulation installations, improved heating and glazing upgrades. A new programme is providing home energy assessment visits to 32,000 homes. Improved energy metering and condensing boilers have been installed in council buildings, and a combined-heat-and-power unit at a sports centre.
The deadline for UK Ashden Local Authority Awards 2009 call for entries is 28 October 2008
Benefits of winning an Ashden Award include:
* Prize money of up to £30,000.
* The chance for local authorities to bring their sustainable energy solutions into the international arena.
* Continuing development support, where necessary.
* Engagement with key decision-makers in the sector.
* A documentary film about the award-winning work.
* Media exposure.
What does it take to be a winner?
The scheme must:
* Be up and running, delivering sustainable energy at a local level for at least one year.
* Benefit the environment.
* Be technically rigorous.
* Have an element of innovation.
* Make a genuine difference to local peoples’ lives, both socially and economically.
* Be replicable and help encourage the widespread uptake of local, sustainable energy.
The ‘scheme’ submitted for an award may be the entire work of an organisation or a specific part of the work. Eligible schemes must involve the delivery of sustainable energy at a local level and scale. ‘Sustainable energy’ covers both renewable energy supply (electricity or heat) and reduction of energy demand. Previous Local Authority Award winners include: Leeds CC (2008), Nottinghamshire CC (2007), Barnsley MBC (2006) and Kirklees MBC (2006). Other Awards categories are schools, businesses, charities, and international projects.
The Awards ask entrants to show clear plans to use prize money for expansion, replication and dissemination of the Award-winning work. It is also a requirement that the project is run by an organisation with the capacity and commitment to make sustainable energy more widespread