South African group wins CTI world climate technology award 2000
The South African group, Eskom-Shell Solar Home Systems, has been awarded the Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) World Climate Technology Award 2000 for its success in providing electricity to remote rural populations in South Africa. The project involves the installation of stand-alone photovoltaic panels with a specially designed battery enclosure that incorporates a battery, controller and a card reader. The company receives its prize on 21 November 2000 at the ClimateTech2000 Pavilion adjacent to the facilities for the COP 6 climate change conference presently being held in The Hague. Other prizes will also be awarded to researchers from Brazil, Canada and China. The climate technology initiative is jointly organised by the European Commission with 23 OECD countries. It aims to support the United Nations Framework convention on climate change in its efforts to achieve stabilisation of atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. South African researchers can participate in the Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development thematic programme of the European Union's Fifth Framework Programme, through which they are currently helping to develop commercially viable and socially acceptable wind, hydro and biomass remote area power systems.