Champions in renewable energies awarded in Rome

05.07.2012 – The winner cities and municipalities of the Champions League for Renewable Energies were honoured during a ceremony held in the building of the Italian Senate in Rome. Soon after the European football championship cards were played again and the winners changed!

The participating local authorities were awarded with first, second or third  prize in four size categories. With Tacherting and Leutkirch im Allgäu taking first and Friedrich-Wilhelm-Lübke-Koog taking second place, Germany is still the number one in using renewable energies in Europe. However, challengers are

getting stronger every year and three awardees (a first, a second and a third prize) are from France: Tramayes, Le Mené and Besançon. And respectively two trophies have been won by Italy and Hungary as well as one by Czech Republic.

4,500 European local authorities representing 65 million people from the seven countries Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Poland participated in the third season of the RES Champions League. According to RES data, the participating municipalities built 5,000 megawatt solar photovoltaic, 2,500,000 square metre solar thermal and 1,500 megawatt biomass plants. Next year the competition will be open in five additional countries, namely Austria, Belgium, Romania, Scotland and Slovenia!

The awarded cities and municipalities are:

General ranking:
1. Tramayes (France, 1,000 inhabitants)
2. (coequal) Bóly (Hungary, 3,980 inhabitants)
2. (coequal) Friedrich-Wilhelm-Lübke-Koog (Germany, 170 inhabitants)

Municipalities from 5,000 to 20,000 inhabitants:
1. Tacherting (Germany, 5,660 inhabitants)
2. Le Mené (France, 6,300 inhabitants)
3. Szarvas (Hungary, 17,180 inhabitants)

Cities from 20,000 to 100,000 inhabitants:
1. Leutkirch im Allgäu (Germany, 22,200 inhabitants)
2. Grosseto (Italy, 81,000 inhabitants)
3. Zlín (Czech Republic, 75,460 inhabitants)

Cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants:
1. Padova (Italy, 214,000 inhabitants)
2. Erlangen (Germany, 105,600 inhabitants)
3. Besançon (France, 117,000 inhabitants)

More information about the winning local authorities and photos please visit here.

How are European champions defined?

In every size category, at most one city or municipality from every participating country is qualified to take part in the finale of the RES Champions League. These are the best-ranked local authorities in solar or biomass ranking.

The European champions were selected on the basis of quantitative criteria installed power in renewable energy) and qualitative criteria (personal implication of elected persons, territorial dynamic) by a jury consisting  of energy experts, environmental NGOs, city networks and specialized journalists.