The opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2023 was not wanting inspirational rhetoric, however the winners of the Zayed Sustainability Prize supplied some real-world examples of what motion on the native degree actually seems to be like.
The Masdar-hosted Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) commenced with a celebration of grassroots motion within the sustainability house within the form of an award ceremony for the Zayed Sustainability Prize (ZSP).
Established in 2008, the $3 million ZSP acknowledges organizations and excessive colleges that may exhibit real-world influence via revolutionary sustainability options within the fields of well being, meals, vitality, water and international excessive colleges. Every winner receives $600,000. One constant function amongst most of the various group of nominees and winners of the 2023 ZSP was the utilization of photo voltaic.
The highest award within the vitality class was taken by Jordan-based Neurotech, an organization that develops AI-based algorithms with a blockchain-based transaction system, as a way to higher handle vitality entry in refugee camps. A Neurotech spokesperson informed pv journal that previous to its good vitality administration intervention, greater than 10,000 Syrian refugees in Azraq, Jordan, have been restricted to a most of 13 hours of vitality entry day by day.
“Our resolution has now enabled 24-hour vitality entry and might be replicated at different distant websites in a tailor-made vogue,” the spokesperson mentioned.
By optimizing the vitality coming into the camp from PV and from the grid, Neurotech decreased strain on the camp’s medical amenities in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly enabling the 24/7 respiratory part.
Neurotech’s ZSP-winning resolution has additionally prioritized vitality administration for lay folks. Neurotech’s spokesperson mentioned the expertise resolution gives easy informational cues to assist folks uneducated in moderating electrical energy consumption higher reasonable their utilization.
Ryan Carter / UAE Presidential Courtroom
Photo voltaic colleges
It’s no secret that youthful generations are adapting to a sustainability mindset a lot simpler than older generations. Among the many revolutionary colleges to obtain 2023 ZSP awards are Kamil Muslim School in Fiji and Romain-Rolland Gymnasium in Germany.
College students from Kamil Muslim School informed pv journal their faculty’s 14 kW rooftop photo voltaic set up is the idea of community-wide advantages. The varsity’s system is able to working each on and off the grid, making it a hub for the area people in instances of want.
Because of the college’s dependable solar energy, the student-led program permits, amongst different issues, an onsite nursing infirmary. The scholars at the moment are taking a look at utilizing the ZSP prize cash to develop photo voltaic capability, add a photo voltaic water pump that includes an “air to water converter,” and doubtlessly put money into vitality storage, but in addition a hydroponics system so meals might be produced for varsity lunches. The varsity hopes to generate 219 MWh of solar energy yearly within the close to future.
The Romain-Rolland Gymnasium in Berlin is simply as ahead pondering. The varsity proposes to construct a working student-built and solar-powered electrolysis based mostly hydrogen gas cell. Pupil representatives informed pv journal they need their faculty to change into an “innovation hub the place college students will be capable to see how these applied sciences work.”
By increasing this mission the college hopes to spice up their renewable vitality utilization from 2% to 10%, whereas inspiring college students to analysis within the fields of renewable vitality era.
UAE minister of business and superior expertise, chair of Masdar and director normal of the ZSP, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, mentioned that “because the UAE prepares to host COP28 later this yr, the Zayed Sustainability Prize stands as a essential reminder of the UAE’s dedication to accelerating sensible options wanted to assist societies mitigate and adapt to local weather change.”
The writer attended Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week as a visitor of Masdar.
