EcoNation collects the prizes
Gentbrugge based company EcoNation was awarded two prestigious prizes for the environment in December. Following the European Business Awards in the category products and services, EcoNation won awards at the UN-climate top in Peru as one of the most promising green technology companies. Earlier this year the company was named Technology Pioneer 2014 at the World Economic Forum.
With these Business Awards for the environment the European Commission aims to reward companies for their engagement towards the environment. “An increasing number of businesses are realising that protection of the environment is essential for the competitiveness of Europe. With the European Business Awards for the Environment we highlight the best of the pioneers”, said euro commissioner for the environment Karmenu Vella, in honour of the winners.
The UN praise EcoNation specifically for Finance for Climate Friendly Investment, because the company have developed a financial model in which they invest themselves in guaranteed energy savings at their customers. Therefore it's a model that does not rely on subsidies. According to the jury "EcoNation lightens the energy bill with an application that is both technically and ecologically superior". It is not by chance that the skylight domes are described by experts as “the best invention since the light bulb”. The UN therefore appropriately called EcoNation "a glowing example”.
EcoNation brings ecological daylight solutions. Their showpiece LightCatcher is a skylight dome allowing significant energy cost savings, because artificial light is replaced by daylight. In the skylight dome there is a mirror that, using a sensor, directs itself to the optimal light source and captures daylight. This is then reflected towards the interior, filtered and strengthened in a light shaft and then spread around the building. A solar panel makes the mirror turn with the sun, without using any electricity. Result: ten hours per day the artificial lights can be turned off and the skylight brings pleasant daylight to the interior. Not only does that save lots of CO2, it also saves money. The ecological footprint is more than six times lower that the traditional skylight.
Lidl, BioPlanet, Total, Samsonite, Umicore and Schiphol are among others using the technology, which has been introduced in fifteen countries.