2nd Place at the 2026 Wirtschaft hilft Awards

Wir freuen uns sehr: Die Windkraft Simonsfeld wurde bei den Wirtschaft hilft-Awards 2026 mit dem 2. Platz in der Kategorie Klein- und Mittelunternehmen ausgezeichnet.

(c) Sima Prodinger

Each year, through the “Wirtschaft hilft” Awards, the Fundraising Verband Austria highlights exceptional partnerships between businesses and nonprofit organizations. The awards recognize projects that demonstrate how much can be achieved when the business community and civil society take on responsibility together.

For us, the focus is on the Solar Pledge of East Africa program. Together with our project partner horizont3000, we support schools and health facilities in Uganda and Kenya in gaining long-term access to reliable solar energy.

After all, electricity is not a given in those regions. A lack of or unreliable energy supply complicates daily school life, medical care, lighting, cooling, and much more. This is exactly where the project comes in: Existing solar installations are repaired and expanded, new PV systems are installed, maintenance structures are established, and local people are trained to operate the systems.

From 2024 to 2026, Windkraft Simonsfeld will cover the material costs for the project—including PV modules, cabling, batteries, inverters, as well as installation and maintenance.

(c) Horizont3000

By 2025, important first steps had already been taken: In Uganda, solar power systems were installed at schools and a health center. In Kenya, numerous facilities underwent technical inspections, and urgent repairs were carried out at several health centers. As a result, approximately 39,000 patients and about 850 students are already benefiting from a more reliable power supply.

For us, this award is a wonderful confirmation that renewable energy can have an impact far beyond electricity generation. It can enable education, improve medical care, and make everyday life a little safer for many people.

A big thank you goes to our project partner, horizont3000, as well as to everyone in Uganda, Kenya, and Austria who, with such dedication, has made this project possible. We are very pleased to have taken second place at the Wirtschaft hilft Awards—and it motivates us to continue working together to bring clean energy to places where it can make a real difference.