The Zayed Future Energy Prize Selection Committee has identified the finalists for the 2013 prize in preparation for the jury meeting taking place on October 17.

Candidates that feature technologies ranging from energy access, solar, wind power and carbon reduction will be presented to the jury for the final deliberations.

A record total of 579 entries from 88 countries were received this year, marking a 36 per cent increase over last year.

The two-day selection committee meeting took place following the meeting of the Review Committee earlier in September.

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, director general of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, said: “Now in its fifth year, the Prize has gained reputation as an influential authority for the global renewable energy and sustainability community.”

“The heated deliberations of the two-day Selection Committee meetings are a testament to the quality of submissions and how difficult it has been to identify the winners for this year.

“As the renewable energy industry gains momentum and grows more diverse, we saw a broad spectrum of candidates that reflect this evolving energy landscape. Each of the shortlisted finalists is an inspiration in its respective field. It is now up to our jury to identify the winners and I am sure it is going to be a tough decision,” Dr Al Jaber added.

All categories – Large Corporations, SME, NGO, Lifetime Achievement and the newly launched Global High Schools prize category – were assessed based on the prize criteria of innovation, impact, leadership and long-term vision.

Each criterion carries a different weight for each category; Large Corporations have a larger emphasis on impact and long-term vision, SMEs on innovation and long-term vision NGOs on impact and innovation.

Lifetime Achievement assessments place emphasis on innovation and impact equally, while the Global High Schools Prize focuses on innovation and long term vision. – TradeArabia News Service