Join RESponsible island prize competition

The European Commission has launched the second edition of the RESponsible island prize competition, rewarding achievements in local renewable energy production for electricity, heating, cooling and transportation on islands.

The title is inspired by RES (short for Renewables) and “responsible” to highlight the citizens in the center of the energy system. Within this context, the prize recognizes achievements in renewables on geographic energy islands, the commission said on its website.

The top prize is EUR 500,000

The deadline for applications is September 29.

Islands are ideal test labs to develop innovative energy technologies and can serve as energy transition models

The prize will be awarded based on:

• the share of renewable energy produced by innovative energy technologies
• environmental and socioeconomic sustainability and impact
• citizen and community involvement
• replicability of the solution.

The top prize is EUR 500,000, while the runner-up will receive EUR 250,000 and the third-ranked candidate EUR 100,000.

There are more than 2,000 inhabited islands in the EU

There are more than 2,000 inhabited islands in the EU. They are ideal test labs to develop innovative energy technologies and can serve as energy transition models for small communities in general.

The prize should inspire other islands and off-grid communities to show how small local communities can make the transition to sustainable energy systems, the commission said.

Horizon 2020-funded competition

The prize is in line with the objectives of the Political Declaration on Clean Energy on EU Islands and the Smart Islands Initiative.

In 2018, Croatia’s Cres-Lošinj archipelago, the Sifnos island in Greece, and the Arani islands in Ireland were selected for the implementation of an energy transition pilot project within the Clean Energy for EU Islands initiative.

The competition is funded under Horizon 2020.