US Scientist Arthur Rosenfeld Wins Global Energy Prize

News provided by

Jun 24, 2011, 09:00 ET

LONDON, June 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

American scientist Dr. Arthur H. Rosenfeld was presented with the 2011 Global Energy Prize, which rewards innovation and solutions in global energy research and its concurrent environmental challenges. Dr. Rosenfeld received his award from President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev in an official ceremony in St Petersburg, Russia, which took place last Friday as part of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The Global Energy Prize is one of the world's most respected awards in energy science, awarding US$1m every year for outstanding energy achievements and innovations. Dr. Rosenfeld received the Prize in recognition of his pioneering energy efficiency work.

For the past forty years Dr. Rosenfeld has proposed rigorous energy efficiency standards for new homes, businesses and industrial buildings in California, and helped develop ways to meet these, together with colleagues at the Center for Building Science which he founded at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

In 2006, the then US Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman noted of Dr. Rosenfeld that "the legacy of his research and policy work is an entire new energy-efficiency sector of our economy, which now yields an astounding annual savings of around $100 billion and growing."
Dr. Rosenfeld's technological innovations include energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs and reflective roof-coatings which reduce air-conditioning costs.
In 2010 a new unit of energy conservation was named after him. The 'Rosenfeld' equals 3 billion kilowatt-hours - the amount of energy savings needed to replace the output of one 500-megawatt coal-fired power plant in a year.

Upon receiving the Prize, Dr. Rosenfeld said "I am delighted the organizers of the Global Energy Prize have chosen to recognize my work with this award. The concept of energy efficiency has had a tremendous impact on the world, both economically and environmentally, and I remain excited about innovations which will lead to even greater levels of energy savings. The cheapest form of energy is that which you don't use."

Igor Lobovsky, President of the Global Energy Prize Partnership, shared his thoughts on the prizewinner: "Arthur Rosenfeld embodies the spirit of the Global Energy Prize. His long and distinguished career has shown him to be the epitome of a socially and environmentally aware scientist. His work has direct benefits for humanity and we are very happy to celebrate with him today. His story will continue to inspire young people to embrace the opportunities offered by a career in energy science."

Dr. Rosenfeld shares the Prize with one other winner, Professor Philipp Rutberg of Russia, who was recognized for his work developing energy plasma technologies which can convert waste materials into synthetic fuels, with minimal harmful emissions. Using this technology, a town of around 30,000 people could supply all its heating needs and a portion of its electricity needs using domestic waste as a power source.

Editor's Notes:

http://www.globalenergypr ize.org/en/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ge_prize

The Global Energy Prize awards $1m each year, and thus far has been granted to 24 scientists from around the globe, including past Laureates from the US, Great Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, Russia, and Japan. The President of the Russian Federation participates in each year's award ceremony held at the conclusion of a week-long celebration of the awardees' work, Laureates' Week. Other world leaders who have supported the prize include the former US President George W. Bush, former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, former French President Jacques Chirac and current Canadian Prime Minister, Steven Harper.