Sustainable energy awards go to water

SOLAR and wind power generation may still be breaking new ground in the energy industry, but it was the use of the ocean’s swell for power generation and regional energy efficiency projects that were recognised at last week’s sustainable energy awards.

Sustainable Energy Industry Excellence and Innovation Awards were hosted by the WA Sustainable Energy Association (WA SEA) and aimed to highlight the best in the business at the inaugural event.

Horizon Power was the big winner with two accolades – for community and regional initiative and for excellence and innovation.

The company’s Home Energy Efficiency Audits won for its regional focus.

The project is a recent initiative by the state-government run power provider and services 12 Aboriginal remote communities with off-grid energy.

Horizon was given the excellence and innovation award for its “commitment in looking for all opportunities to deliver sustainable solutions to their customers,” a statement from WA SEA said.

ASX-listed Carnegie Wave Energy won the developer award for its Perth Wave Energy project – a category that is assigned to new renewable energy projects in design and construction processes but not yet in operation.

Wave-generated energy is not unique to Fremantle-based Carnegie, but the company’s technology differs from its competitors in that it is a fully submerged operation that generates power onshore rather than offshore.

Carnegie’s technology produces desalinated water and zero-emission power.

The event also named an industry ambassador award winner – WA Geothermal Centre of Excellence director Klaus Regenauer-Lieb.

Originally from Germany, Professor Regenauer-Lieb was acknowledged for his commitment to developing the sustainable energy industry – he has travelled the world working in geophysics, structural geology and thermodynamics.

The Centre of Excellence was established in 2009 and is a collaboration between the CSIRO, The University of Western Australia and Curtin University.

Other winners were SunPower Corp, Landfill Gas and Power and the Department of Treasury and Finance.