Ethiopian Review

Addis Abeba — A village scheme in Ethiopia has been nominated as one of the sustainable energy champions by the Ashden Awards for the year 2009, the London-based charity said in a media release on Wednesday.

According to Ashden Awards, the village scheme pioneering rented small photovoltaic (PV) solar-home systems in each of 1,100 homes which was successfully trailed to replace kerosene lighting and dry cell batteries.

The scheme has supplied a further 1,000 systems to outlying areas, and has established a centre providing training for solar technicians.

The Ethiopian scheme will be recognised with cash prizes by the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy on 11 June 2009.

Other sustainable energy champions slated for the award come form India, Nicaragua, Uganda and US.

In India, a highly insulated, heat-retaining greenhouse powered only by the sun enables villagers to grow vegetables through the winter and a new biomass gasification system generating electric power for eight hours per day.

A cheap and efficient stove saving 30-50% fuelwood and reducing polluting emissions by 50-75% compared to traditional cooking from the US.

Moreover, a 25-year-old family-run business in Nicaragua which sold 2,000 solar home systems and 560 larger solar energy systems and installed in rural areas and a business started making briquettes from agricultural waste for its own use from Uganda have all made it to the finalists’ list.

One will be crowned global energy champion, with an associated prize of £40,000.

The finalists were selected for their life changing solutions to poverty and climate change.

An Outstanding Achievement Award will also be made to a previous Ashden Award winner who has forged ahead in the field at the Awards ceremony, held in Central London.

The finalists will present their work to their peers and other experts at the Ashden Awards Imperial College Conference, to be held on 10 June.

- Daily Monitor