European Sustainable Energy Awards 2024 reward clean energy champions

The winners were chosen by an online public vote in three categories: Innovation, Local Energy Action, and Woman in Energy. They received their awards from European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson and members of the high-level jury at the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) awards ceremony on 11 June in Brussels. Portuguese architect Rita Gomes won the award in the Woman in Energy category, for her Seenergy start-up, which pioneers the use of renewable energy solutions integrated into household objects. The company uses coloured solar cells that mimic the process of photosynthesis in plants, converting light into electricity without direct sunlight. Once collected, the energy is stored in a battery integrated in the furniture and can be used to charge devices or power lights through USB ports.  The Association des Centrales Villageoises, a network of French local cooperatives bringing together citizens, municipalities and local businesses to develop renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, came first in the Local Energy Action category.  The network, supported by the LIFE programme of the European Union, brings together citizens, municipalities and local businesses to develop projects on a local scale, offering technical, economic, and legal assistance to community-driven energy initiatives.  PHOTORAMA, a project funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme, is working to improve the recycling of photovoltaic panels was the winner in the Innovation category. The...