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2025 Energy Efficiency Award: Innovations for the energy transition

Jury announces companies nominated for the Energy Efficiency Award (EEA). The projects undertaken by the companies are leading examples of how the energy transition works in practice. Awards ceremony at the dena Energy Transition Congress in Berlin.

Berlin, Germany, 25 September 2025. The decisions have been made: Twelve companies have been nominated for the EEA this year and are in the running for an award at dena’s (German Energy Agency) 2025 Energy Transition Congress. The companies, selected from more than 100 applications, are top examples of innovative entrepreneurial action in the field of energy transition and climate protection.

With this award, the EEA jury, consisting of high-ranking representatives from politics, business, science and the media, recognises companies that stand out for their particular innovative strength, exemplary character and commitment to energy efficiency and climate protection.

Corinna Enders, Chair of the dena Management Board: ‘The projects undertaken by the nominated companies are the best submissions of the year. They are leading examples of how business and industry can play an active role in shaping the transition to climate neutrality. This award highlights the quality and transferability of the projects and shines a light on their commitment beyond the competition.’

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The EEA is awarded in the four categories listed below, which cover the spectrum of corporate climate protection for the energy transition and climate protection as well as the use of energy efficiency measures: from the use of renewable energies and system integration to digitalisation and cooperation, through to comprehensive transformation concepts. Areas of focus include: the use of digitalisation and AI to increase energy efficiency, the system-supporting use of renewables to generate electricity and heat, decarbonisation of high-temperature process heat and the use of waste heat in processes and heating networks.

In addition, a special prize for a small or medium-sized company will be awarded from among the applications, which will be decided by a public vote. The 2025 EEA award ceremony will take place as part of the dena Energy Transition Congress which is being held on 3 and 4 November. The award ceremony will take place on the evening of 3 November.

Detailed information about the award, the nominees and how to take part in the award ceremony can be found on the website: https://www.dena.de/energy-efficiency-award/

The companies nominated in the individual categories are:

Category 1: Think Big! – Complex energy transition projects.

MAHLE GmbH, for the combined generation of electricity and heat from solar energy in conjunction with seasonal storage
Pöppelmann GmbH & Co. KG, for the construction of an innovative production hall for sustainable plastics production
Maier Bros. GmbH, for sustainable solutions for transport vehicles and the supply of power in film production operations

Category 2: From clever to digital! – The range of energy efficiency.

KIS Antriebstechnik GmbH & Co. KG, for the development of a customised and AI-supported energy management system
SCHOTT AG, for comprehensive waste heat utilisation in special glass production
Flender GmbH, for the use of a large industrial heat pump for waste heat utilisation

Category 3: Achieving more together! – Energy services as enabler of the energy transition.

ENGIE Deutschland GmbH and G. Staehle GmbH & Co. KG, for energy-saving contracting in metal processing
Solarwärme Bracht eG, Viessmann Deutschland GmbH and the University of Kassel, for the cooperatively organised supply of renewable local heating with seasonal storage
Stadt.Energie.Speicher GmbH and Überseeinsel GmbH, for the sustainable neighbourhood supply with innovative river water heat pumps

Category 4: Moving forward! – Concepts for a climate-neutral future.

Peter Riegel Weinimport GmbH, for defossilisation in value chains
Hansgrohe SE, for a transformation concept for the energy transition
tesa SE, for designing climate-neutral production with the use of hydrogen

Also nominated for the special prize for a small or medium-sized company are:

Maier Bros. GmbH
Peter Riegel Weinimport GmbH

Solarwärme Bracht eG

About the Energy Efficiency Award

The Energy Efficiency Award is sponsored by the Federaö Ministry for Economix Affairs and Energy (BMWE). KfW provides support as the premium partner. Award winners each receive a video showcasing the award-winning project. The winner of the special prize for SMEs receives EUR 5,000. All nominees receive a digital seal (label). In addition, selected projects that do not make it onto the list of nominees but are nevertheless exemplary are awarded a good practice seal. The winners in the four competition categories and the winner of the special prize will be announced at an award ceremony to be held on 3 November in Berlin as part of the dena Energy Transition Congress. Further information is available at https://www.dena.de/energy-efficiency-award/ and https://www.dena.de/dena-energiewende-kongress/