wattwatt.com: Making an Electrifying Difference to Climate Change

wattwatt.com: Making an Electrifying Difference to Climate Change

October 03, 2007

    GENEVA, Oct. 3 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Electricity is a
form of energy that we often take for granted -- in our
homes, hospitals, offices and factories. But certain ways
of generating electricity can be major contributors to
climate change. By using less electricity, using it more
efficiently, using it more responsibly and looking for new
or improved ways to generate it. We can all make a
difference.

    wattwatt.com is a Web 2.0 social network website that
brings together people of all ages and nationalities
interested in making a difference. It provides the means
for more direct public involvement in helping identify
priorities for consumers, industry and governments, and in
finding the solutions -- technical or behavioral -- for
increasing electrical energy efficiency.

    Supported by the IEC, a not-for-profit,
non-governmental organization, responsible for setting the
world's electrical energy efficiency standards,
wattwatt.com will facilitate the sharing of experiences,
ideas and provide an open debate on one of the biggest
challenges facing mankind.

    With the IEC's support, wattwatt.com puts consumers and
technology experts in touch, thereby highlighting where new
standards could be improved or created, in areas such as
electrical appliances, standby power and lighting
technologies.

    care4it: The Global Challenge for Schools

    As one of first major initiatives, wattwatt.com is
calling on the world's school children for help. care4it is
the challenge organized by wattwatt.com and the IEC, with
the support of the International Energy Agency (IEA), a
leading organization that advises its member governments on
energy policy.

    care4it calls on schools around the world to submit
their ideas for improving electrical energy efficiency. The
winning school will receive a US$10,000 cash prize and the
chance to see their idea brought to reality. Prizes of
US$3,000 and US$2,000 will be awarded for second and third
place, respectively. Detailed entry information is
available on wattwatt.com and the deadline for entries is
Friday 28 March 2008. The winners will be announced in June
2008.

    Commenting on the initiative, IEC General Secretary
Ronnie Amit said: "This global challenge for schools
will not only tap into the young minds around the world,
but it will also help raise the awareness of the critical
role played by electricity in our daily lives. A
competition like this aims to get children involved
creatively in proposing solutions for using electricity
more efficiently or developing devices to use it
differently, so helping modify the behaviour that will help
mitigate the effects of climate change."

    Nigel Jollands, Senior Policy Advisor at the IEA's
Energy Efficiency and Environment Division said:
"energy efficiency is an essential part of a
sustainable energy future. We all need to play our part in
using energy wisely. The care4it competition is an
excellent effort to reach out to students -- our energy
managers of the future."
    More information on care4it can be found at
wattwatt.com/care4it.

    About wattwatt.com

    wattwatt.com (a play on the words 'what' and 'Watt' )
is a newly launched community on electrical energy
efficiency. It is becoming a reference centre for the
individual who is interested in and sensitive to electrical
energy efficiency and the environment and who wants to share
their ideas and benefit from what others have to tell. It is
supported by the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC), a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization (see
below), while the platform was developed by Lausanne-based
Electronlibre.

    About the IEC ( http://www.iec.ch )

    The IEC is the world's leading organization that
prepares and publishes International Standards for all
electrical, electronic and related technologies --
collectively known as "electrotechnology". IEC
standards cover a vast range of technologies from power
generation, transmission and distribution to home
appliances and office equipment, semiconductors, fibre
optics, batteries, solar energy, nanotechnology and marine
energy to mention just a few. Wherever you find electricity
and electronics, you find the IEC supporting safety and
performance, the environment, electrical energy efficiency
and renewable energies. The IEC also manages conformity
assessment schemes that certify whether equipment, systems
or components conform to its International Standards.

    About the IEA ( http://www.iea.org )

    The International Energy Agency (IEA) acts as energy
policy advisor to 26 Member countries in their effort to
ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for their
citizens. Founded during the oil crisis of 1973-74, the
IEA's initial role was to co-ordinate measures in times of
oil supply emergencies. As energy markets have changed, so
has the IEA. Its mandate has broadened to incorporate the
"Three E's" of balanced energy policy making:
energy security, economic development and environmental
protection. Current work focuses on climate change
policies, market reform, energy technology collaboration
and outreach to the rest of the world, especially major
producers and consumers of energy like China, India, Russia
and the OPEC countries.

    Internet: http://www.presseportal.ch


    For more information, please contact:

     Jonathan Buck
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]