Energy Efficiency Award 2012: Pioneers wanted / International prize under the patronage of German Federal Minister of Economics Rösler

Berlin (ots) - Businesses from industry and production have until
4 May 2012 to apply for the international dena Energy Efficiency
Award 2012. In order to participate in the competition, companies
must have successfully implemented projects to increase energy
efficiency in their own operations. The prize, a total of EUR 30,000,
is awarded by the Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) - the German
Energy Agency - as part of its "Initiative EnergieEffizienz" ("Energy
Efficiency Campaign") in cooperation with the Premium Partners DZ
BANK, Imtech Deutschland and Siemens. The competition is held under
the patronage of German Federal Minister of Economics, Dr. Philipp
Rösler. All information on how to enter the competition can be found
under www.industrie-energieeffizienz.de.

The competition is open to any business from industry and
production that has sucessfully implemented in-house energy
efficiency projects. Cooperative entries from end users and the plant
manufacturers, planners or advisers involved in a project are also
allowed. Entries from small and medium-sized businesses are
particularly welcome. A jury of top-ranking experts from politics,
business, science and the media will assess the projects submitted
and decide upon the winners. The first prize in the dena Energy
Efficiency Award 2012 is EUR 15,000, the second EUR 10,000 and the
third EUR 5,000. The prize will be awarded at dena?s Energy
Efficiency Congress in September 2012.

In 2011, three businesses were awarded the dena Energy Efficiency
Award: The first prize was shared by SCA Hygiene Products SE for the
savings it has made in various cross-sector technologies, and
Heideblume Molkerei Elsdorf-Rotenburg AG for its successful
implementation of energy contracting. The second prize went to
Südbayerische Portland-Zementwerk for its efficient use of waste heat
in its cement manufacturing operations. The international Energy
Efficiency Award has been awarded since 2007. dena is the centre of
expertise for energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and
intelligent energy systems. The "Initiative EnergieEffizienz" is a
dena campaign funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and
Technology.

The following businesses are supporting the Energy Efficiency
Award 2012 as Premium Partners:

The DZ BANK AG is part of the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken
cooperative financial network, which brings together some 1,200
cooperative banks. Within the cooperative financial network, DZ BANK
acts as the central institution and commercial bank for the
cooperative banks with their 12,000 branches across Germany.

Imtech Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG is the leading supplier of energy
and building technology and part of the pan-European Imtech N.V.
group with some 27,000 staff.

Siemens AG is a world leader in electronics and electrical
engineering. The group is active in the industry, energy and health
sectors and has some 360,000 staff worldwide.

Media contact:

Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) - German Energy Agency,
Juliane Kammer,
Chausseestrasse 128a, 10115 Berlin, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)30 72 61 65-652
Fax: +49 (0)30 72 61 65-699
E-mail: kammer@dena.de
Internet: www.dena.de