© Thomas Köhler/phototek
Energy Efficiency Award: a competitive edge earned through climate action
On 11 and 12 November, the 15th Energy Transition Convention organised by the German Energy Agency (dena) brought together more than 1,300 participants from companies, associations and foundations to Berlin for discussions on ‘Climate Action – our currency for the future’. The focus of the event, which was also attended by Corinna Enders, CEO of dena, and Federal Minister Robert Habeck, was on financing the energy transition and climate action.
The award ceremony for the 2024 Energy Efficiency Award was also held at the event. This award goes to projects and concepts that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and for groundbreaking work to advance the transition towards climate neutrality in the industrial sector.
The projects submitted are testimony to the diversity of the energy transition. They dealt with issues such as the use of renewables, systems integration for greater energy efficiency, and the role of digitisation and cooperation. These are the winners:
Category 1: Think Big! – Complex projects for the energy transition
The award went to Ardagh Glass Packaging and its project, a pilot installation for the electrification of glass production. Smelters usually rely on an energy mix composed of 90% natural gas and 10% electricity. Ardagh’s pilot plant, however, uses 60% of (mostly green) electricity and 40% gas.
Category 2: From smart to digital! – The whole gamut of energy efficiency
The 2024 Energy Efficiency Award was won by Schaltbau GmbH and its project involving the construction of an energy-efficient factory using direct current. The use of direct current eliminates conversion losses, maximises recuperation, and reduces the requirements regarding connected power.
Category 3: Achieve more by joining forces – energy services as enablers of the energy transition.
The winner of this category is a project undertaking jointly by SachsenEnergie AG, the Technical University of Dresden, and state-owned company Saxon Real Estate and Construction Management. It involves the use of the waste heat generated by a data centre by optimising its usability, feeding it into a district heating system and supplying it to up to 3,700 households.
Category 4: Moving forward! – Concepts for a climate-neutral future.
The public selected the winner in this category. They chose Schwalbe / Ralf Bohle GmbH and their project that seeks to close raw materials cycles in tyre and bicycle tube production. Under the project, more than 1,800 bike dealers in Germany take back used bicycle tyres, which are then converted into valuable secondary raw materials in a pyrolysis procedure.
Special award for small and medium-sized enterprises
Flohreus GmbH, a small company, received the accolade for its project entailing the comprehensive use of renewables for self-supply in elastomer technology. Stefan Wenzel, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and chair of the supervisory board of dena, said: “The laureates have proven that it is worthwhile for companies to harness potential for greater efficiency. They are pioneers and role models in the field of climate action and resource efficiency. This climate awareness secures companies’ competitiveness and can be applied to other processes as well. I therefore encourage companies to take a look at these successful measures.”
Applications for the 2025 Energy Efficiency Award
Next year, the Energy Efficiency Award will be presented. Companies of all sizes and from all industries, from Germany and abroad, are already invited to apply.