ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Zayed Future Energy Prize, today announced the top 40 entries to compete for the 2011 Prize. The Prize is the most prestigious and internationally recognised award for innovation, performance and leadership in sustainable and renewable energy projects. Entries from 13 nations have been selected for their contribution to sustainable and renewable energy solutions.

The top 40 entries were selected from a total of 391 submissions through a rigorous selection process. The winner, to be announced on 18^th January 2011 at an awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi, will receive $1.5 million USD. In addition, two other finalists will receive up to $350,000 each for outstanding work in the field of renewable and sustainable energy. The total $2.2 million Zayed Future Energy Prize, now in its third year, is inspired by the vision and environmental stewardship of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father and President of the United Arab Emirates.

The Review Committee examined a hundred entries from all over the globe. The top 40 entries include the following regional breakdown: eighteen from the United States, four from the UK, four from India, three from the Netherlands, two from Belgium, two from China and one entry each from Benin, Hong Kong, Brazil, Japan, Denmark, Sweden and Croatia.

Dr. Sgouris Sgouridis, Chairperson of the Review Committee, said: “Selecting the top 40 entries was very challenging yet rewarding, as the number, caliber and impact of the entries were impressive. Although the top 40 are all strong candidates, ultimately the Prize will be awarded to the one who has made the greatest contribution to innovation, long-term vision and leadership in renewable energy and sustainability.”

Shortlisted entries came from a variety of organisations, NGOs, businesses and individuals who are committed to green energy technologies. The scope of work of the Prize entries include solar installations, solar-wind hybrid systems, wind turbine businesses, biofuel generation, energy storage, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicle charging technologies, low energy water treatments, storm resistant and eco homes.

The rigorous and transparent judging and evaluations process is based on three main criteria: long-term vision, innovation and leadership. From the top 40, the Selection Committee will determine the top 6 entries. The Zayed Future Energy Prize expert jury will then determine the winner and two runner-ups by unanimous decision.

The 2011 jury is led by Dr. R.K. Pachauri, the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2002. Jury members are; Ólafur Ragnar Grimsson, President of the Republic of Iceland; H.E. Eng. Khaled Irani, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Jordan; H.E. Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Chairman Masdar; Lord John Browne, Managing Director of Riverstone Holdings; Lord Norman Foster, Founder and Chairman, Foster and Partners; and Dr. Susan Hockfield, President, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology.

The top 40 entries are:

For more information please visit www.ZayedFutureEnergyPrize.com.

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Notes to the Editor:

About Zayed Future Energy Prize
The Zayed Future Energy Prize was created in honour of the legacy of the late Founding Father and President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The prize aims to inspire the next generation of global energy innovators to create solutions for the future. The Prize is awarded annually to individuals, companies or organisations that have made significant contributions in the global response to the future of energy, climate change and sustainable global energy resources.

Selection Committee Members
The selection committee is chaired by Razan Al Mubarak, Managing Director, Emirates Wildlife Society, World Wide Fund for Nature. Its members are; Dr. Tariq Ali, Former Vice President for Research & Industry Relations at Masdar Institute; Mika Ohbayashi, Scenarios & Policy Regional Manager; International Renewable Energy Agency “IRENA”; Dr. Steve Griffiths, Executive Director of Institute Initiatives and Professor Chemical Engineering at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology; Eswar Mani, Senior Associate, Masdar Capital; Michael Liebreich, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance; Prof. Peter Droege, Chair, World Council for Renewable Energy, Asia Pacific, Australia; and Ziad Tassabehji, Chief Executive Officer, Windcliff

Jury Members
The 2011 jury is led by Dr. R.K. Pachauri, the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2002. Jury members are; Ólafur Ragnar Grimsson, President of the Republic of Iceland; H.E. Eng. Khaled Irani, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Jordan; H.E. Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Chairman Masdar; Lord John Browne, Managing Director of Riverstone Holdings; Lord Norman Foster, Founder and Chairman, Foster and Partners; and Dr. Susan Hockfield, President, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology.

Past winners
Zayed Future Energy Prize reflect the diversity of efforts to solve what many believe is our greatest 21st Century challenge: creating sustainable highly productive low carbon economies, and their work has been sustained by the competition’s prize fund. In 2009, Dipal Barua was selected for his work in developing a highly successful market-based sustainable model for providing power to off-grid rural populations in Bangladesh. Through his company, Grameen Shakti, Mr. Barua facilitated the construction of 245,000 home solar system installations in Bangladesh, bringing electricity to 2.2 million people at a cost no greater than kerosene. With his award, Mr. Barua has established a scholarship programme to train rural women to be solar technicians. In 2010, Toyota Motor Corp. was honoured for the company’s commitment and long-term vision to reduce carbon emissions, as exemplified in the first mass-produced hybrid, car -- the third generation Toyota Prius. At the time of the award, more than 1.6 million Prius vehicles had been sold, resulting in cumulative reductions of approximately 7 million tons of CO2.