Some previous Zayed Future Energy Prize winners

Abu Dhabi: Dipal Barua won the Zayed Future Energy Prize in 2009 for his work as the Founding Managing Director of Grameen Shakti, a clean energy company.

He had developed an innovative instalment-based payment plan for solar systems.

Through this initiative, he was able to lower the monthly cost of solar to the equivalent of kerosene.

With Grameen Shakti, Barua facilitated the construction of 245,000 solar electricity systems in homes in Bangladesh, bringing electricity to 2.2 million people.

Additionally, his network of after sales-repair and maintenance services made up of local technicians, many of whom are women, has helped to provide jobs for thousands more people.

In 2010, Barua became the head and founder of the clean energy company, Bright Green Energy, which has established 100 branches all over the world since and carried out 1.3 million domestic solar system plants.

The surprise announcement at the 2011 awards ceremony, Vestas, the Danish Wind company announced that it will invest part of its prize money in launching WindMade, the world’s first global consumer label identifying organisations and products that use wind power in their operations or production.

Supported by the Prize, WindMade, which has since become an NGO, has reached a number of important landmarks and currently counts almost 50 companies in 16 countries including industry heavyweights as Deutsche Bank AG, Lego A/S and Motorola Mobility as user of the certification label.

At the 2012 awards ceremony, the Prize administration introduced the Lifetime Achievement Award, given to Dr Ashok Gadgil in recognition of his efforts towards finding solutions for water purification and promoting energy efficiency.