Nominees

Applicant: Jenni Energietechnik AG
Project title: First 100% solar-heated multiple-family house in Europe
Country of implementation: Switzerland 

The eight apartments in Europe’s first multiple family house to be heated completely with solar energy, in Oberburg, were quickly rented. This is no wonder, since heating without oil is more attractive than ever. This is especially true in this Swiss solar house: Its apartments rent at the local average rate, but there are no heating costs because there is no supplementary heating system. Excellent thermal insulation and passive solar utilization via windows combine with 276 m2 of solar collectors and a 205,000-liter buffer for year-round hot water and comfortable room temperatures. The large buffer, situated vertically in the middle of the building, provides the heat required for colder seasons. To achieve optimal solar harvest, the building is oriented to the south.

Applicant: Recycla Chile
Project title: Working for the E-Waste Solution
Country of implementation: Chile

Sustainable disposal of electric appliances that contain dangerous materials is the goal of the project Solving the E-Waste Problem, which was planned and implemented by Recycla Chile of Santiago. Thereby Recycla offers the only recycling storage site for electronic waste in all of Latin America. In 2007 the company disposed of and recycled 600 tons of electronic waste, which is 3% of the total electronic waste in Chile; the goal is to reach 10% by 2010. Recycla Chile strives to conserve resources and to assure a sustainable future for the IT branch. As a measure of the success of the project, Epson has already signed a contract, and many other companies are expected to follow. In addition, the project helps socially disadvantaged residents to find their way back to employment.

Applicant: CIDEM Universidad Central de las Villas
Project title: Sustainable materials for subsidized housing
Country of implementation: Cuba

Cuba’s Caribbean climate and frequent hurricanes put high demands on municipal buildings. In repairing hurricane damage, normally industrial materials are used that are produced with high energy consumption and transported across long distances. Furthermore, these materials (e.g., Portland cement) are repeatedly subject to bottlenecks and price increases.

The research institute CIDEM sought alternatives and discovered a method of producing a substitute material from old building materials and wastes from the sugar industry, the largest industry branch of the nation. They produce cement from the ash that ensues as a byproduct in the combustion of sugar cane wastes. These wastes previously heated the kilns for bricks and lime sand bricks, which can also be produced locally. Private sponsors such as the NGOs Grupo Sofonias and Werkhof e.V. as well as government bodies such as the National Housing Institute (NIH) financed small workshops where the materials are produced economically and jobs are created. Annually 150,000 roof shingles, 200,000 cement blocks and over 2500 tons of lime Pozzolana cement are produced from sustainable resources along with door and window sills and rafters.