The UK Ashden Award winners are: Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network (WREN) in Cornwall; cleantech innovators Monodraught Ltd and the national fuel poverty charity National Energy Action.
Sustrans received a Eurostar Ashden Award for Sustainable Travel for its work on extending the National Cycle Network, while Hollybush Primary School in Derry, Northern Ireland and South Farnborough Infants School in Hampshire won Ashden School Awards.
The overall UK Gold Award winner was a partnership between the Sustainable Energy Academy and social housing contractor and developer United House. Its home insulation process is said to insulate homes in a matter of hours and reduce fuel bills by up to 40 per cent. If the process was rolled out to all 7.8 million of the UK’s hard-to-treat homes, it could save an estimated £3 billion pounds and 14 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.
The Ashden Judges said: “SEA’s creativity and United House’s experience in delivery have combined to create an affordable, easy-to-install insulation solution that is breaking down the barriers to making the UK’s housing stock more energy-efficient. This could play a major role in reducing fuel poverty by keeping homes warm while radically cutting fuel bills. This successful business partnership could revolutionise the home insulation sector, as well as providing new opportunities for employment in the green economy.”