The Zayed Sustainability Prize ‘Ecothon’ is searching for concrete solutions to address and try to tackle the challenge of energy storage within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Participants should propose viable solutions that leverage creative thinking, innovation, and new approaches to tackling the issue on hand.
The suggested impact of the solution (s) and their likelihood for success will be evaluated by a panel of judges who are subject-matter experts on the proposed topic.
Solar and wind installations continue to break new records around the world every year with many countries developing ambitious plans for the accelerated incorporation of renewable power-generation technologies that can be effectively integrated into the grid, and subsequently, contribute to greater climate action.
Electricity storage, which is the capture of energy produced at one time for use at a later time to reduce imbalances between energy demand and production, is one of the key options available to manage variability and ensure reliable, round-the-clock supply, according to major global industry players. Declining costs and improving capacity have made batteries and other storage technologies increasingly practical for upgrading existing power systems.
In the short term, battery storage can aid the transition from diesel-based generator sets to renewable options for isolated systems, such as on islands or in remote areas. For larger systems, pumped-storage hydropower supports the integration of variable renewables. In the longer term, the coupling of storage technologies to rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels or wind turbines could revolutionise electricity production, facilitating localised power supply and challenging utilities’ existing revenue and grid-management models.
In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), renewable energy usage has grown significantly over the past four years, with the last 12 months showing even more notable growth, according to the 2021 MENA Solar and Renewable Energy Report. This trend will continue to increase as solar power prices reach grid parity and with many countries in MENA looking to energy storage for their future power needs.
The winning group will be awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to attend Expo 2020 Dubai for a weekend trip.
Any application to the Zayed Sustainability Prize Ecothon – Challenge Call will be reviewed against the conditions and criteria described below. Projects that fail to meet the conditions and criteria will be automatically disqualified.
As outlined in the overview and any project that does not follow the set methodology will be rejected
The Challenge is open to all countries within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
No. The Challenge is open to groups of 2-3 youth between the ages of 15-24 only.
No. The Ecothon Challenge is a short-term initiative in nature, and exclusively open to eligible groups of youth.
No. We request participants to think independently and creatively about the proposed subject matter.
All applicants must operate based on the given deadline to avoid disqualification and any changes will be communicated to all applicants directly and ahead of time.
The Prize will support winners in applying for a visa to the UAE. However, the Prize does not guarantee that a visa will be approved for winners as visa acceptance is subject to UAE Government rules and regulations.
No. The Prize will cover all reasonable costs and logistics related to members of the winning team (including, where applicable, one guardian adult for winning groups under the age of 18) including economy-class travel, hotel accommodation in Dubai and entry to ExpoDubai2020 event.