ISA Confers the Very First ISA Solar Awards at Third Assembly

For the first time since the inception of the framework agreement of ISA, solar awards were conferred on countries and institutions working for solar.

For the first time since the inception of the framework agreement of ISA, Solar Awards were conferred on countries of the region as well as institutions working for solar.

ISA recognises Japan’s advanced, state-of-the-art technology of Floating Solar Energy Projects & its efforts towards achieving a low carbon future. #ISA #ISASolarAwards #ISASolarAwards2020@CMofKarnataka @PMOIndia @MinOfPower @IEA @RanaAdibX @APEC @mikaohbayashi pic.twitter.com/bTVOsmb7TQ

— International Solar Alliance (@isolaralliance) October 14, 2020

The assembly witnessed the conferment of the Visvesvaraya award which recognises the countries with maximum floating solar capacity in each of the four regions of ISA. The awards went to Japan for the Asia Pacific region and the Netherlands for Europe and other regions. Mahendra Jain, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Karnataka, announced the awards named after Bharat Ratna M. Visvesvaraya to the representatives of the countries of Japan, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The winners received USD 12,330 prize money.

Haryana Chief Minister M. L. Khattar announced the recipients of the Kalpana Chawla award, named after the American astronaut of Indian origin. The award recognizes outstanding contribution of scientists and engineers working in the field of solar energy. The inaugural award in this category was conferred to Dr. Bhim Singh from IIT Delhi (India), and Dr. Aaesha Alnuaimi (UAE) from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).

The Diwakar award instituted by ISA out of the contribution made by India’s Minister for Railways and Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal of USD 25,000 received by him from the University of Pennsylvania, has been awarded to Arpan Institute (Haryana) and Arushi Society. The award recognises organisations and institutions that have been working for the benefit of differently-abled people and have maximised the use of solar energy in the host country.

At the assembly, ISA also announced the launch of ISA CARES, in response to the global pandemic. The initiative is dedicated to the deployment of solar energy in the healthcare sector in LDC/SIDS ISA member countries. The initiative aims to solarise one primary health sector in each district of the target member countries. Australia has provided AUD 92,000 for the ISA CARES initiative in the Pacific to provide ongoing reliable solar energy for health centres in the Pacific, helping remote island communities reduce reliance on costly and uncertain diesel fuel imports.

As previously reported by us, India and France were re-elected as the President and Co-President of the alliance for a term of two years at the 3rd assembly. And, four new vice-presidents were also chosen to represent the four regions of ISA. The representatives of Fiji & Nauru for Asia Pacific Region; Mauritius & Niger for Africa Region; UK & Netherlands for Europe and others Region, and Cuba and Guyana for Latin America and Caribbean Region assumed the vice presidency.