Awards 2011 - Consuming
A public solar-powered mobile device charging point called the “Strawberry Tree” in the centre of Belgrade’s Obrenovacdistrict is attracting users of all ages, informing about sustainable energy, and inspiring youth to behave responsibly.
Miloš Milisavljević was just 17 years old when the inspiration hit him. He was working on a school project on sustainable energy. “We wanted to find the best ways of promoting renewable energy, and knew that to do that we needed to reach people’s emotions. Everybody has their own problems. To capture their attention we needed to make something from which they will personally benefit.”
Knowing that five billion mobile telephones are in use around the world, and that the number will only grow, Milisavljević connected the dots.
“I thought that maybe we could help by building a station where people could use solar power in public spaces to recharge their telephones and other mobile devices like iPods.” he said. “This introduces a direct trigger: solar power is relevant. Solar power provides solutions.”
This idea that Milisavljević hatched in high school is now a reality. The original proto-types and models were entirely self-financed. He approached the Belgrade municipality, and city officials quickly recognised the value of the project, built the charger and installed it in the Obrenovac district of Belgrade.
Now called a “Strawberry Tree,” the first station was installed in November 2010. In its first 40 days of use, 10,000 charging sessions were logged. That equates to an average of about 10 sessions every hour! There is no charge to users to plug-in to the power source. “Energy from the sun is free, and it would be unethical to charge people to use the Strawberry Tree,” Milisavljević explained. Belgrade has plans to build and install three more stations around the city in the coming months.
Each charging sessions takes about 10-15 minutes. Milisavljević maintains that the charging station also offers a social benefit. As the users wait, they have no choice but to gather around the tree. “Discussion of the benefits of solar power is inevitable as people congregate in the shadows of the Strawberry Tree,” he says. “We are trying to inspire young people to think about the source of the energy they use, and behave and act responsibly.”
A true entrepreneur, Milisavljević organises his renewable energy projects within the NGO he created called “Strawberry Energy.” What’s behind the name? “We like the symbolism of strawberries. They are the first fruit of the spring season. That represents leadership, innovation. Plus, in ancient times the strawberry was a symbol for love and perfection. That works for us, too.”
Milisavljević, now 22, plans to finish his studies in electrical engineering this autumn, and then head off to complete a masters degree. But meanwhile, Strawberry Energy is in negotiations with several other cities in Serbia and the surrounding interested in introducing a charging point in their local communities. “Our sole desire is to spread the word of sustainable energy and try to make the world a better place, as much as we can.”
Contact:
Milos Milisavljevic
Strawberry Energy
110 Nova
11000 Belgrade
Serbia
E-mail:
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Tel: +381642890289
Web: http://www.senergy.rs
Project partners:
Energy Efficiency Agency of the Republic of Serbia
Belgrade, Serbia
www.seea.gov.rs
Business Technology Incubator of Technical Faculties Belgrade
Belgrade, Serbia
http://www.bitf.rs/cms/item/home/en.html
Additional information:
Link1: http://portal.sliderocket.com/AMZUJ/StrawberryTree
Description: Presentation of Strawberry Tree
Link2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J14cl3wIvn4
Description: TV Report about Strawberry Tree
Link 3:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=1QZzqjEGt_ek7ze6Laqih7DhQLLQv110_Rygdd-jclp4HI1NDxtL5FJ-K7lrQ&hl=en
Description: Press Clipping about Strawberry Tree
German initiative spreading across Europe lets households input all their meter readings online for tailored savings advice to cut CO2 emissions and costs from heating, electricity and water
Energiesparclub (Energy Savings Club) members (28,000+ households by the end of 2010) get continuous feedback and free advice on cutting CO2 emissions and bills from space heating, electricity and water. In Germany, birthplace of the initiative, they save an impressive 4% energy a year – twice the national average.
Members enter meter readings, building and appliance data into an online “interactive Energy Savings Account (iESA)”, which stores, displays and analyses it. Investments (e.g. in a new fridge) and behavioural changes (e.g. reduced or increased consumption due to the number of members in the household) can be simulated. Data from local renewables generation can be monitored.
Over 50 organisations offer iESA to their customers or members. 700 households are testing the extra option of fully automated data entry and another 200 remote control of devices such as thermostats. In 2011, the household carbon footprint will be completed with CO2 emissions from transport and shopping.
The iESA is being translated and adapted to nine other EU member states in the “European Citizens Climate Cup”, a household competition rewarding the largest CO2 reductions, weighted by national CO2 indices. The Energy Savings Club expects to reach 100,000 German and 13,000 European members by 2012.
Contact:
Justus von Widekind
Project Development & Coordination
co2online gemeinnuetzige GmbH
Hochkirchstr. 9
10829 Berlin
Germany
E-mail:
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Tel: +49 30 767 685 28
Web: http://www.energiesparclub.de, http://www.theclimatecup.eu
Project partners:
Deutscher Mieterbund e.V. (German Tenant Association)
Berlin, Germany
www.mieterbund.de
WWF Worldwide Fund for Nature (e.g. for 9 ECCC partners)
Athens, Greece
www.wwf.gr/en
BUND Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (Friends of the Earth Germany)
Berlin, Germany
www.bund.net/bundnet/ueber_uns/bund_in_english
NABU
Berlin, Germany
www.nabu.de/en
Additional information:
www.energiesparclub.de,
www.theclimatecup.eu
Residents save money and help reduce CO2 emissions thanks to an education programme focusing on energy-savings
In an effort to alleviate fuel poverty, the programme called “Warm Homes Peterborough” is educating the area’s most vulnerable social tenants. Activities consist of home visits where new tenants with the greatest need of energy assistance (or those most at risk of fuel poverty) are provided with direct advice, assistance and education related to energy-savings in the home. Another element of the programme is a telephone help line where tenants can ask questions regarding energy use and receive information about grants. Warm Homes Peterborough is also active through community energy events where energy packs are distributed. Packs contain items such as power-down plugs and energy-saving light bulbs.
This locally-focused effort is organised by the Peterborough Environment City Trust. An estimated 1,500 tenants are being reached. Organisers are also gathering data to increase understanding of the way tenants use energy, and track specific behaviour relating to energy-efficiency. This knowledge is expected to help the efficacy of future education efforts. Follow-up surveys indicate that almost half of project participants were confident that their energy costs were lower as a result of their involvement with Warm Homes Peterborough.
Contact:
Janine Starling
Sustainable Communities Coordinator
Peterborough Environment City Trust
Cowgate 4-6
PE1 1NA Peterborough
United Kingdom
Email:
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Tel: +44 1733 866 439
Web: www.pect.org.uk/warmhomes
Additional information:
http://www.pect.org.uk/index.php
A publicly-funded support programme is on track to help thousands of businesses in the North West save £126.6m (€150m) annually from energy, water and material efficiency
ENWORKS is an environmental support programme helping thousands of businesses of all sizes and sectors in North West England improve profitability and reduce energy consumption through resource efficiency. Established in 2001, the network of private and third-sector organisations delivers free, local and sector-specialist support through a range of partners covering energy, water and materials efficiency as well as eco-design and waste management.
It specialises in long-term support, offering access to free training and networking events, on-site efficiency reviews, telephone assistance and fortnightly ‘Green Intelligence’ bulletins with news, advice and business case studies. Each business is shown how to use the ENWORKS Online Resource Efficiency Toolkit to prioritise, monitor and report on their savings, also to help build the internal case for efficiency.
ENWORKS is on track to help North West businesses save £126.6m (€150m) – and 674,000 tonnes of CO2 – annually, almost half of it from energy efficiency. The rest comes from sustainable procurement and resource substitution e.g. renewables for fossil fuels. Nearly a quarter of the savings have already been delivered. ENWORKS’ support has created 1,380 jobs and safeguarded 5,861 while increasing business sales by more than £82m (€97m).
Contact:
Todd Holden
Director
ENWORKS
Fourways House
57 Hilton Street
M1 2EJ Manchester
UK
E-mail:
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Tel: +44 161 236 6348
Web: www.enworks.com
Project partners:
ENWORKS Partnership Board - current members represent a range of public, private and third sector organisations:
Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Regional Development Agency, Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency, Northwest Chambers of Commerce, Environment Agency, Groundwork Northwest, Envirolink Northwest, Institute of Directors, Government Office for the North West, Federation of Small Businesses, North West Universities Association, Brother UK Ltd, United Utilities
www.gmchamber.co.uk, www.nwda.co.uk, www.crea.co.uk, www.chambersofcommercenw.org.uk, www.environment-agency.gov.uk, www.northwest.groundwork.org.uk, www.envirolinknorthwest.co.uk, www.iod.com, www.gonw.gov.uk, www.fsb.org.uk, www.nwua.ac.uk, www.brother.co.uk, www.unitedutilities.com
ENWORKS local-level delivery partners:
Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA), Groundwork Cheshire; Groundwork Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford; Groundwork Merseyside; Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale; Groundwork Pennine Lancashire Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA)
www.crea.co.uk, www.northwest.groundwork.org.uk/cheshire, www.northwest.groundwork.org.uk/manchester-salford-stockport, www.northwest.groundwork.org.uk/merseyside, www.northwest.groundwork.org.uk/oldham--rochdale, www.northwest.groundwork.org.uk/pennine-lancashire
ENWORKS cluster organisation delivery partners:
Chemicals Northwest and Food Northwest, North West of England (both based in Runcorn, Cheshire)
www.chemicalsnorthwest.org.uk / www.foodnw.co.uk
Additional information:
www.enworks.com / www.enworksinabox.com
An initiative in 85 German cities allows low-income households to get energy advice and tools from previously unemployed energy advisors
The German Ministry for Environment seems to have found a way to kill two birds with one stone: energy poverty and unemployment. With support from the Caritas Association and Federal Association of Energy and Climate Protection Agencies, it has launched a national initiative in 85 German cities called Stromspar-Check (“Save power and check it”) whereby unemployed people are trained to become energy advisors to low-income households.
After having subscribed for free via the Internet, the households get an audit of their water and power consumption. At the advisor's next visit, they are given a toolbox worth €70 with various resource-saving appliances and an explanation of how to use them, as well as guidance on how to change their behaviour to save money on energy and water bills.
All consumption data collected are centralised so that each advisor knows how much he actually helps save. So far, 750 energy advisors are on duty and have received a new chance on the labour market. The goal is to reach 41,000 households, with overall expected savings of 130GWh of power or 98,000 tonnes of CO2.
Contact:
Eva Marx
Bundesverband der Energie- und Klimaschutzagenturen Deutschlands - eaD e.V.
Französische Straße 23
10117 Berlin
Germany
E-mail:
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Tel: +49 (0)30 293330-67
http://www.stromspar-check.de
Project partners:
85 welfare agencies (most of them Caritas) and 17 energy agencies (eaD members)
Additional information:
www.stromspar-check.de
