Berlin, 10 June 2020. The German Energy Agency (dena) is extending the application period for the Energy Efficiency Award 2020: the new deadline is 30 June 2020. dena awards the prize each year to outstanding energy efficiency projects in companies and is endowed with prize money totalling 30,000 euros. Companies of all sizes and from all sectors from Germany and abroad can apply digitally at www.EnergyEfficiencyAward.de

The focus is on successful energy savings and new, innovative approaches which can be easily transferred to other companies. Energy efficiency and climate protection can thus also become important growth drivers for overcoming the economic consequences of the Corona crisis.

The Energy Efficiency Award is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). Its patron is the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Peter Altmaier.

Good chances in four award categories

The four competition categories illustrate the variety of possible success patterns in the field of energy efficiency. Interested companies can apply with one or more competition entries in the following categories:

• Think Big!
  Complex energy efficiency projects
  For a long time, companies have been implementing multi-layered energy efficiency projects where a large number of measures have to be coordinated with one another. Here systematic thinking and integrated solutions are being sought.
• From clever to digital
  The broad spectrum of energy efficiency
  In this category, low-investment measures are being sought just as much as mature technologies, or digitally supported optimisation using software solutions or artificial intelligence, e.g. as part of an energy management system.
• Achieving more together
  Energy Services as enabler of the energy transition
  The involvement of service providers is particularly useful where ambitious ideas hit up against limited finances, resources or lack of expertise. Such involvement can range from conception, planning and implementation of a system to finance, system control and maintenance.
• Concepts for carbon neutral companies:
  Innovative ideas and new approaches for a green economy
  The energy transition needs innovative ideas. Companies that pursue new approaches to reduce their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, or conceive the energy transition in cross-sectoral and cross-system terms (or in integrated, holistic terms), can submit their concepts for the Energy Efficiency Audience Award. The concept should demonstrate conclusively which concrete measures should be used to increase energy efficiency and/or reduce emissions in industry, as well as impress the jury by their innovation and market maturity.

All energy efficiency projects and concepts submitted are evaluated by a jury of experts on the basis of the criteria of energy saving, relevance to climate protection, economic efficiency as well as degree of innovation and transferability. dena will publish a shortlist of the nominated projects at the beginning of October. The winners will be honoured at the dena Energy Turnaround Congress on 16 November 2020.

All information on free participation, the conditions of participation, the online application form, answers to frequently asked questions and information on the prizewinners of previous years can be found at www.EnergyEfficiencyAward.de