www.eta-awards.co.za

A R140,000 pot of prize money is up for grabs for bright sparks who have developed brilliant ways to save and use energy more efficiently.

The eta Awards is scouring the country for the people and organisations who have found new and exciting ways of saving energy in the last 12 months.

Prize contenders will be invited to a gala prize-giving ceremony on Friday, November 23 in Johannesburg.

There are six categories to enter - Industry, Businesses, Agricultural, Residential, Women in Energy Efficiency and a prize for Young Designers. Each category winner will receive a R30,000 cheque. Two runners up will each win R5,000.

Barry Bredenkamp, Acting Operations Manager of the National Energy Efficiency Agency, a government organisation designed to promote energy efficiency said the ceremony was a chance to celebrate the South Africans who are committed to energy conservation.

“These awards celebrate the businesses and individuals who recognise the importance of saving energy, and I would encourage everyone who thinks they’ve devised an innovative solution to visit the eta website at www.eta-awards.co.za and enter.”

Bredenkamp added: “Energy efficiency might not be the core of their business, but they are nonetheless passionate about conserving energy – whether it is electrical or petrochemical.

Last year’s winners include thirteen-year-old Nicole Gracie from Ladysmith KZN, who built an entire greenhouse in her school grounds from 1,500 two-litre cool drink bottles to demonstrate energy-related issues.

And the Mondi Business Paper Factory in Richard’s Bay, saved nearly 45 per cent on its annual energy bill by fitting energy efficient equipment and developing new processes.

Bredenkamp added: “we need to reign in our rampant energy use for a number of reasons. Primarily, conserving energy lessens our negative contribution to climate change and helps avoid over-demand power cuts which harm the country’s economy and job creation opportunities.”

Andrew Etzinger, head of Demand Side Management at Eskom – the awards’ sponsor – said: “Energy efficiency forms a central pillar of our policy to meet the energy needs of the country in the future.

“I’m positive these awards will heighten the profile of the energy efficiency movement in South Africa.”

Entries close on September 12, 2007.