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A delegation from the Zayed Future Energy Prize, the world’s preeminent award for innovation in renewable energy and sustainability, met with leaders from the cleantech industry in San Francisco to discuss the Prize and possible partnerships with US cleantech organizations.
The meeting was convened by San Francisco-based d.light design, the 2013 winner of the Zayed Future Energy Prize in the Small and Medium Enterprise category. The discussion took place on the sidelines of the Cleantech Forum San Francisco and was attended by industry leaders and policy makers across the fields of renewable energy and sustainability.
Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Director General of the Zayed Future Energy Prize said, “San Francisco boasts a deep culture of innovation and a rich network of clean tech companies. The Prize, inspired by the legacy handed down to us by our founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, has a global mandate to reward innovation in renewable energy and sustainability. Through the Prize and other initiatives in the UAE, people from around the world are paying attention to what one country in the Middle East is doing to spearhead the renewable energy and sustainability movement in the region.
“To date, d.light has improved over 15 million lives using portable solar lanterns to introduce modular, upgradable solar systems for homes and small businesses. These are the business that will create that much needed ripple effect around the world – and that is the ethos that the Zayed Future Energy Prize is closely linked to,” said Dr Al Jaber.
The Prize, represented by its Director, Dr Nawal Al Hosany addressed investors, global executives and entrepreneurs on the US$4 million Prize and its reach; as part of a larger participation in the Cleantech Forum San Francisco.
Donn Tice, CEO of d.light Design, said, “San Francisco is an established hub for renewable energy and environmental sustainability; we are delighted to help raise awareness in our home town of the UAE’s and Abu Dhabi’s leadership and vision in these areas. We are proud to forge a partnership with the UAE and Abu Dhabi, through the Zayed Future Energy Prize. We encourage other cleantech companies to leverage their innovation and growth plans through submission for the Zayed Future Energy Prize.”
San Francisco, California boasts a robust renewable energy industry, often cited as the most sustainable city in the United States. According to the Cleantech Group’s findings, San Francisco is home to over 200 cleantech companies and investors – one of the largest and most concentrated cleantech clusters in the world. In 2011, a renewable electricity plant was established to provide the city with 100% renewable electricity by 2020.
The Zayed Future Energy Prize participation at the Cleantech Forum was part of an ongoing outreach campaign to raise both the quality and quantity of submissions for the 2014 edition. As part of the outreach to the cleantech industry in the United States, the Prize will also participate at the Bloomberg New Energy Futures Summit later this month and the Energy Efficiency Global Forum 2013, Washington, DC, in May.
Submissions for the Prize will close on August 4, 2013. Winners will be announced at the Zayed Future Energy Prize awards ceremony scheduled to be held on 20 January, 2014 as part of the annual Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
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