Bucharest-hosted 2023 Solar Decathlon Europe competition to receive partial gov't funding

The Romanian government will provide partial financial support for the organization of the 2023 Solar Decathlon Europe competition that will take place in Bucharest, Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests Barna Tanczos told a press conference on Thursday. "If we have such [eco-home building] initiatives, if we have young people who dream high and universities that provide them the necessary support, if we have rectors who believe in these initiatives and universities from various fields come and look for new solutions for this new world, Romania will most definitely succeed. We will succeed in organizing such international competitions in Romania. Together with our colleagues from the other ministries, the Ministry of Environment will support this team and this initiative," Tanczos said. "In order to achieve an 80 percent cut in the buildings' energy consumption across the EU by 2050, every member state must make extraordinary efforts. The targets are challenging. Saving 80 percent of energy consumption through technology, research and innovation is an extremely ambitious target, but it will become mandatory at some point for us as well," the official underscored. Romania will be represented at the Solar Decathlon Europe 21 competition due in Wuppertal - Germany by the team of the NGO EFdeN with a new solar-powered house project that will be developed in the next two years. A recipient of over 35 awards, the EFdeN team is the only Romanian competitor that made it to three Solar Decathlon editions: Versailles (2014), Dubai (2018) and Wuppertal (2021). In 2012, PRISPA was the first Romanian team to break through to the Solar Decathlon (Madrid), and in 2014 the EFdeN team participated in the Versailles edition with the house project which is currently a Research Center for Comfort Conditions. EFdeN is the only Romanian NGO that develops solar housing for educational and research purposes, along with sustainable products and educational modules for both students, experts and the general public. The volunteer project operates based on strategic partnerships and sponsorships. The NGO was founded in 2013 by a group of passionate young people, together with the Bucharest Technical University of Civil Engineering and the "Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urban Planning. According to the information on its website, over 550 students, graduates, master's students and doctoral students have been part of the EFdeN team in the last five and a half years. The entity is organized in 11 departments that include: urban planning, architecture, engineering, communication, partnerships and horticulture and boasts more than 350,000 volunteer hours put in in recent years in research and the design and building of two solar energy-efficient houses. EFdeN and the Energy Endeavor Foundation (EEF) organized today a press conference where they officially announced the success of Bucharest's bid for hosting the Solar Decathlon Europe 2023 international competition for renewable energy houses. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Badea, editor: Andreea Marinescu; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Simona Iacob)