The EE Global Forum and Exposition in Washington DC was the setting for the honouring of several champions of energy efficiency from around the world. At the plenary luncheon on May 11th, four awards were given, in front of an audience of 500 stakeholders. The first award went to Dr. Joseph Oteng-Adjei, Minister for EnergyThe ability to perform work, mainly kinetic, potential, thermal energy, but also in forms of gravitational, sound, elastic and electromagnetic energy. in the Republic of Ghana, who promptly credited the people of Ghana for the country’s energy efficiencyUsing less energy/electricity to perform the same function. Programs designed to use electricity more efficiently - doing the same with less. gains, while noting that international cooperation between the U.S. and Ghana has helped inspire long-term energy efficiencyUsing less energy/electricity to perform the same function. Programs designed to use electricity more efficiently - doing the same with less. projects, such as exhanging 6 million incandescent bulbs for CFLs “We are grateful,” said Dr. Oteng-Adjei. “We are a small country, and make sure we optimize our limited resources with energy efficiency. We are grateful for the skills and knowledge that will support these projects. We pledge that we will take due course and move straight to that course and never, never look back.”

The Hon. Jimena Bronfman, Vice Minister of Energy in Chile took the prize for Latin America’s best energy efficiency efforts this year.  Her country’s strategy for energy efficiency involved taking a close look at best practices in places such as California and Vermont, said the Vice Minister.Recently, the Chilean government financed several projects, such as thermal retrofitting, to show consumers the benefits of energy efficiency while also educating people about energy savings and demonstrating that a little investment can go a long way.

Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General of the Government of India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency, accepted an award for spearheading the energy efficiency movement in India, where it is helping to improve the quality of life for India’s billion-plus citizens through economic growthIdeally, economic growth is decoupled from energy consumption. This can be achieved through different measures, one of them being energy efficiency or a shift towards less energy intensive sectors, such as services..  Dr. Mathur says he and other energy efficiency advocates are optimizing value for money. “We are nudging people towards energy efficiency. We have learned from people all around the world. And our own country has provided support and leadership.“

On behalf of the King of Sweden, the European award winner, H.E. Jonas Hafstrom, ambassador of Sweden to the United States, remarked that energy efficiency fits precisely in the scheme of Sweden’s top priorities, which include addressing climate changeClimate change is a lasting change in weather patterns over long periods of time. It can be a natural phenomena and and has occurred on Earth even before people inhabited it. Quite different is a current situation that is also referred to as climate change, anthropogenic climate change, or ....  Moreover, the country’s efforts in the area of sustainable city planning, alternative fuelsMaterials or substances other than conventional fossil fuels or nuclear materials which may be burned in order to generate energy. and smart gridSmart grids operate with a two-way communication, switching on appliances when demand is low and connects local producers at peak times. Smart grids are a way to improve efficiency through advanced technology. technologies have been to the benefit of Sweden’s economy, which has grown by 54 percent in the process of reducing its energy use. Additionally, Sweden is the leading country in renewable energyRenewable energy is power generated from infinite sources, such as wind or solar power. Conventional energy is generated from finite sources, such as natural gas or fossil oil., the ambassador noted, with 43 percent of its energy consumption(Final) energy consumption includes all energy supplied to to final user and includes all sectors, such as households, industries, agriculture…. fueled by renewable energy.

The EE Global Exposition is the world’s largest energy efficiency dedicated event. As an endorsing organisation, REEEP was present at the event, and had an information stand highlighting both the Partnership and the reegle website.  Vince Reardon, Communications Consultant to REEEPThe Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) is a non-profit, specialist change agent aiming to catalyse the market for renewable energy and energy efficiency, with a primary focus on emerging markets and developing countries. also moderated the Executive Dialogue Session 4A, which looked at how to tackle the energy efficiency in buildings challenge from both a developed country and emerging market perspective.