Student prize to thesis project that gives smart energy solutions a boost

Student prize to thesis project that gives smart energy solutions a
boost

Why is it so difficult to get energy-efficient solutions utilised even
when they make both environmental and financial sense? Christer Gerdin
and Louise Hammarberg got to the bottom of this question. Their thesis
project, which gives companies help along the way, is the winner of
Sweco's 2010 Student Prize.

”If it takes hold, a really good thesis project has significant
potential as a catalyst for sustainable development of society,” says
Andreas Gyllenhammar, a climate and environmental strategist at Sweco
who has read and analysed the entries to the year's Student Prize.
In their thesis project, Christer Gerdin and Louise Hammarberg looked at
a number of bottlenecks and developed a tool that calculates
profitability, provides information and helps to overcome the
communication problems that can easily arise when implementing major
energy-efficient solutions. The project presents five factors that are
critical in motivating more investments in energy-efficient solutions.
“We are very pleased that our work has been recognised. Although it may
seem obvious to make investments that are both profitable and
sustainable, this issue needs all the attention it can get to encourage
companies to work in a more sustainable direction,” according to the
prize-winners.

Facts:

  · Sweco's Student Prize has been founded to recognise thesis projects
that provide smart solutions for a better climate.
  · Christer Gerdin and Louise Hammarberg's thesis project is titled
“Why are profitable energy investments not made? - a study of the
decision-making process for energy-efficient investments in the real
estate business”. The project was carried out within the Technology
Management master's programme, which is a collaborative effort between
the Faculty of Engineering and the School of Economics and Management at
Lund University in Sweden.
  · The prize, a travel grant of SEK 25,000, was presented by Mattias
Klum during Sweco's inspiration day at the Museum of Modern Art in
Stockholm on 23 November.
  · On 23 November the Swedish Energy Prize was also presented to
Alingsåshem and its Managing Director Ing-Marie Odegren.
  · Christer Gerdin and Louise Hammarberg have completed their studies.
Today Christer Gerdin is a trainee at NCC and Louise Hammarberg is a
trainee at Vattenfall.
  · The jury for Sweco's Student Prize consists of Carl-Erik Nyquist,
Jury Chairman, Tomas Kåberger, Director General of the Swedish Energy
Agency, Lars Nilsson, former Editor in Chief of Ny Teknik, Lennart
Jagemar, Associate Professor at Chalmers University of Technology, Per
Fahlén, Professor at Chalmers University of Technology and Louise Trygg,
Researcher at Linköping University, as well as Lars Olof Matsson and
Karin Annerwall Parö from Sweco.

For additional information contact:
Rebecka Gunner, Head of Communication at Sweco Sweden, +46 734-12 66 75