On Wednesday evening, the op der Fabrik cultural centre in Platen/Bettborn was the venue for the 2016 prize ceremony for the Nova Naturstroum, hosted by Enovos.
The event based on ecological long-term committment took place in the presence of Luxembourg's Minister of the Environment, Carole Dieschbourg, who presented the awards to the winners of nova naturstroum in 2015. Frantz-Charles Muller, President of the Fonds Nova Naturstroum asbl, welcomed everyone, with Marc Reiffers, CEO Enovos Luxembourg S.A., introducing the event proceedings.
Erny Huberty, Administrator of the Fonds Nova Naturstroum asbl, then presented the award categories and announced the award winners, highlighting various projects that had been particularly interesting and fitted in with the ethos of the awards. These ranged from environment-friendly building renovations to cycle path initiatives.
For 2015, the fonds nova naturstroum awarded grants to 247 projects for a total amount of €297,966. 293 applications had been retained in total during the year, with 13 projects invited for the annual awards ceremony where they were presented with a total of €58,500.
Enovos took the initiative to establish investment funds for the promotion and development of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and eco-technologies in Luxembourg.
Enovos feeds this fund via the Enovos Foundation annually with a sum of €200,000. The Enovos Foundation, under the aegis of the Fondation de Luxembourg, focuses on three areas of action: the environment, scientific and social research. The fund is part of the environmental pillar. Since the establishment of the fonds nova naturstroum, a contribution of just over €2 million has been paid out by Enovos. Applications may be made at any time; see www.fnn.lu for details.
The laureates included:
- Gilles Weimerskirch (house renovation)
- Naturata store in Esch-sur-Belval (new building with heat recovery system)
- Gilles Robinet-Rock (house renovation)
- Pierre Tholl (renovation of 6 apartments with bank of photovoltaic cells)
- Georges Michels (installation of photovoltaic cells)
- Administration Communale de Berdorf (installation of wind turbine to power cycly path lighting)
- Administration Communale de Wormeldange (purchase of electric car; installation of photovoltaic cells for sports changing rooms)
- Administration Communale de Preizerdaul (installation of wood pellet heating system for cultural centre and other buildings; purchase of electric van)
- Rein Rebane (construction of a passive energy house; purchase of a hybrid vehicle)
- Marcel Huberty (construction of a passive energy house)
Minister Dieschbourg addressed the laureates and Mayor Fernand Heyart closed the event before those attending enjoyed a walking dinner.
Photos by Geoff Thompson (above): laureates with Minister Dieschbourg and Erny Huverty, Enovos; (below): Marc Reiffers, CEO Enovos Luxembourg
