Public Schools Heating Project wins Energy Globe Award in Jordan

AMMAN — Under the patronage of HRH Princess Sumaya, the Austrian embassy in Amman and its Commercial Section (ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA) organised the first Austrian Green Tech and Renewable Energy Breakfast on Monday. 

The event included presentations on the Renewable energy and green tech sector in Jordan and Austria and the award ceremony of the Energy Globe Award, according to a statement from the Royal Scientific Society (RSS).

The RSS/National Energy Research Centre, this year’s winner of the Energy Globe Award in Jordan, implemented a sustainable and outstanding project: The Public Schools Heating Project.

The award was presented to Princess Sumaya, president of the Royal Scientific Society, by Austria’s Ambassador to Jordan  Oskar Wüstinger. 

The Austrian ambassador congratulated the National Energy Research Centre for this achievement and thanked them for their important work.

“Events like this one are important to bring Austria and Jordan closer together in the area of green tech, circular economy and renewable energy. Working together is the only way to tackle the enormous challenges the world is facing today — including and most importantly climate change,” the ambassador said.

Princess Sumaya highlighted the benefits of this project.

“The project aims to improve classroom environment through appropriate space heating and cooling all year round, help reduce energy consumption of public schools, in addition to support and encourage students and local community to use clean energy and disseminate the concept of energy and water management for students and the community, which contributes to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions” with an estimate of 4,615 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions reduction per year, the princess said.

Princess Sumaya emphasised the main activities carried out by the project, including an assessment for all energy-consuming equipment in schools, replacing conventional equipment with higher efficiency ones such as conventional space heating sources — boilers and installing classrooms and admin facilities with efficient lighting units. 

The Public Schools Heating Project involves installing efficient air conditioning units for heating public schools in the cold areas that use old kerosene-based heaters in Jordan. 

It is also  aimed at replacing the inefficient lamps, full maintenance for the windows and doors that cause heat loss and cover the consumed energy with solar photovoltaic systems in addition to solar water heaters to provide hot water for the domestic uses. 

The project tries to involve the local community on different levels in which they introduce the school as a link between local community needs and environmental concerns.

“The Energy Globe Award is the world’s most renowned environmental prize and has been awarded worldwide since the year 2000. We are happy to award this sustainable Jordanian initiative for a sustainable future!” said Herwig Neuper, the Austrian commercial counsellor. 

With more than 180 participating countries, the Energy Globe Award is the most important environmental Award worldwide.