Zayed Sustainability Prize winner pilots project at Masdar City

Sunna Design’s 8 “iSSL Maxi 4” solar streetlights to be monitored over 12-month period

Following their win last year, at the Zayed Sustainability Prize’s 10th annual awards ceremony (formerly Zayed Future Energy Prize), Sunna Design has announced a partnership with Masdar City, in Abu Dhabi, to conduct a 12-month pilot scheme for its “iSSL Maxi 4” solar streetlights to undergo weather endurance monitoring.

Based in France, Sunna Design is an industry leader of solar energy management for autonomous and connected applications. With solar street lighting being at the core of its business, in the last week of January, eight solar streetlights were installed near Masdar City’s Eco-Villa development. The “iSSL Maxi 4” is already a popular product with Sunna Design customers around the world; however, the monitoring period is intended to further demonstrate confidence in their long-term performance and durability.

According to Sunna Design, the solar street lights are designed to be a reliable, robust and powerful stand-alone solar lighting solution for inter-tropical regions of the world and particularly suitable for road and car park lighting. In addition to its advanced solar technology, the WiFi connectivity within each streetlight means the data and performance of each unit can be monitored remotely, from the company’s head office in Blanchefort, France.

The iSSL Maxi 4 model was a key factor in the company receiving the 2018 Prize and, after the conclusion of this pilot project, the aim will be to have further demonstrated the effectiveness and longevity of this solar-powered lighting solution to more countries and regions that endure extreme heat.

Commenting on the project, Thomas Samuel, Chairman and Founder of Sunna Design, said: "Sunna Design is extremely proud to partner with Masdar City for this pilot project, showcasing our best-in-class solar street lights in the GCC’s leading, purpose-built, low carbon community.”

“The iSSL Maxi 4 is our best-selling road lighting product and with our latest battery and electronics patented technology is designed to operate for 10 years without technical maintenance. The 12-month pilot project is part of Sunna Design’s commitment to ongoing research and development and a desire to always be improving our technologies and products for our customers. Sunna has implemented many projects with private sector and government stakeholders, across the GCC, and that momentum has only accelerated after winning the Prize, in 2018."

Dr. Lamya Fawwaz, Director of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, said: “As a previous winner of the Prize, we are delighted to be supporting Sunna Design and its partnership with Abu Dhabi’s flagship low-carbon community, Masdar City, as they conduct tests on one of its novel solar-powered streetlights. The partnership reflects the commitment these organisations, and the Prize, share for expanding clean energy access.”

Inspired by the sustainability and humanitarian legacy of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Zayed Sustainability Prize is the UAE’s pioneering global award for recognising innovative and inspirational sustainability solutions that deliver human impact.

Executive Director of Masdar City, Yousef Baselaib, said: “Around a third of Masdar City’s electricity needs are provided by solar power and, from a smart city perspective, we recognise that data collection enables a greater understanding of how best to integrate renewable energy solutions into infrastructure and community developments. To this end, we are delighted to be partnering with Sunna Design for their weather endurance monitoring project and helping them realise their objectives.”

Following the evolution of the Zayed Future Energy Prize into the Zayed Sustainability Prize, in 2018, the recent annual awards ceremony, in January, now includes categories in Health, Food, Energy, Water, and Global High Schools. This broadening recognition of sustainability solutions, alongside energy, demonstrates the Prize’s now closer alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals as well as supporting the UAE’s government’s National Agenda 2021.

A total of 76 winners have so far been recipients of the Prize. Collectively, these winners have gone on to, directly and indirectly, affect positive impact on the lives of over 318 million people around the world.

Winners of the 2019 Zayed Sustainability Prize were announced at the annual awards ceremony, held during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, on 14th January.

Submissions for the 2020 Zayed Sustainability Prize are now open and will run from 30th January – 30th May 2019.