Ethiopian Review

Addis Ababa – Solar Energy Foundation (SEF), working in the Ethiopian highlands, won the global green energy award, Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy in London, according to the report by allAfric dot com website.

The Foundation wins the award for electrification of rural areas, supported by the John Ellerman Foundation, for setting up the biggest solar energy program in Ethiopia, with over 2,000 small solar systems installed in two villages that are off the electricity grid and a further 8,500 units due to be installed elsewhere in the country by the end of the year.

The award was given at a ceremony in London hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales in London, the world’s leading green energy prize. Prince Charles presents Ashden Awards for the innovative environmental projects

With the Ethiopian projects, a Ugandan biomass scheme aimed at preventing deforestation and a Surrey school that halved its electricity consumption won the prize.

Short films about the projects in-situ revealed how they have transformed the lives and fortunes of individuals and communities, as well as saving thousands of tones in carbon emissions.

The judges commended SEF “For bringing modern solar energy technology to deliver light and power to remote Ethiopian villages.”

The Foundation was established in 2006 by Dr Harald Schützeichel, who had previously set up and run a solar business in Germany.

It has developed high quality solar-home-systems and solar lanterns for the 10,000-plus villagers living in Rema and Remana Dire, villages in Ethiopia’s northern highlands, five hours’ drive from Addis Ababa.

The residents previously depended on smoky kerosene lamps and candles for their lighting and had turned down the offer of free diesel generators in favor of solar power.

Working closely with local government bodies and also the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency, SEF provides not just technology, but also maintenance and a financial structure that means each household can have its own solar-home-system.

Prince Charles, who is currently backing an environmental film and book project called Harmony, as well as campaigns to protect rainforests from deforestation, presented the awards.

Previous Ashden Award guests have included former US vice-president Al Gore, IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri and naturalist Sir David Attenborough, who last week won a lifetime achievement prize in the Observer Ethical Awards, according the UK based Guardian website.

- ENA