The project at the Autonomous University of Madrid, "Solar Decathlon Europe", was launched in 2006 inspired by a similar initiative from the United States. It consists in an international competition in which universities around the world design, build and use houses energy self-sufficient, taking all their energy from the sun and equipped with technology that allows a more efficient use of that energy.
The European Commission has decided to give the prize in the category of communication to "Solar Decathlon Europe" because this provides an excellent learning experience for students and encourage research and innovation capacity among young people. It also shows the potential for collaboration between the public sphere and the business world and has collaborated in creating a public space where citizens can be witnesses of “sustainable energy in action". his public space, "The Solar Village" has been visited by around 200,000 citizens.
This award is given annually since 2007 within the EU Sustainable Energy Week organized by the European Commission and reward the best use of energy renewable or encourage energy efficiency. This time there have been a total of 303 initiatives from which these were the winners by category:
- Communicating: "Solar Decathlon Europe” (Spain)
- Consuming: "The Strawberry Tree" (Serbia)
- Learning: "Energy Detectives at Schools" (Austria)
- Living: "Demonstration Project for the Renovation of Buildings Multifamiliy" (Bulgaria)
- Travelling: “Cycling City Councillors" (Germany)
- Producing: "Renault Tanger Méditerranée” (France)
