MIT Portugal is a partner of 2 projects distinguished by the Green Project Awards
Every year the Green Project Awards acknowledges projects that aim for the development of good practices in sustainability. This year, the awards distinguished with honorable mentions the Initiative Green Campus and the project SMARTGALP at the tracks Mobilization Initiative of Sic Notícias and Information Technology, respectively. Both projects are the result of collaborations with MIT Portugal Program, in partnership with research institutions and companies, and reflect the commitment of the program in promoting sustainability. The awarding ceremony of was held on October 29, at the Champalimaud Foundation.
The Green Campus Initiative - Energy Efficiency Challenge in Higher Education, aimed to encourage the promotion of energy efficiency at the higher education network through a competition that counted with the participation of students, faculty and staff. In teams, the participants analyzed the energy efficiency of the buildings where they study or work, proposing measures to reduce energy consumption. The project was distinguished at the Mobilization Initiative of Sic Noticias track, highlighting the strong commitment from Universities in promoting energy efficiency at their campus. From all over the country, 49 institutions submitted 57 school buildings for analysis, with 81 teams analyzing 35 of these buildings and proposing energy efficiency projects. The 12 finalist teams presented measures that have the potential to lead to energy savings of 1,122,920 kWh of electricity / year and saving 1.056 CO2 ton/year of carbon emissions. The project was promoted by the Instituto Superior Técnico, through the IN+ Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research, in partnership with INTELI - Intelligence and Innovation and the ESCO Self Energy, with the institutional support of the MIT Portugal Program. The Green Campus was funded through the PPEC - Plan for Promoting Efficient Use of Energy, an initiative promoted by ERSE - Energy Services Regulatory Authority.
SMARTGALP was awarded with an honorable mentions at the Information Technology track. SmartGalp is a pilot project to assess the potential of smart metering to improve efficiency and reduce costs. This project, developed by Galp Energia in partnership with MIT Portyfal Program and ISA, has revolutionized the relationship between consumers and the energy supplier. The information is collected by a set of devices that is analyzed and made available through an innovative platform for interaction with users, a portal that can be accessed via computer and mobile phone (Android or iPhone). The information provided can motivate users towards behavioral changes in terms of energy saving and contribute for a more efficient modeling of energy consumption at the home environment. Users access to information related to their energy consumption but they also get information related with the costs and environmental impact of its uses, empowering them to take an active role in energy efficiency.
In total 19 projects that promote sustainable development were today honored at the ceremony of the Green Project Awards.
Provided by MIT Portugal Program