WSSET Awards

Recognising research excellence.

WSSET celebrates outstanding contributions to sustainable energy, environment and engineering through a programme of awards presented each year at the annual SET Conference gala dinner.

Awarded to individuals and organisations for outstanding contributions in sustainable technologies, recognising innovation that advances the field.

Presented at the SET Conference gala dinner to recognise exceptional scientific achievement and a sustained record of high-impact research.

Awarded to the author of the most exceptional paper submitted to the SET Conference, with selected papers recommended for publication in affiliated journals.

Presented to the most outstanding poster at SET, recognised for clarity, visual impact and the quality of research presented.

All awards are presented at the annual SET Conference gala dinner.

WSSET Award of Scientific Excellence

The WSSET Innovation Awards recognise the achievements of individuals and organisations in new sustainable technologies, encouraging the wider application of innovative developments across energy, environment and engineering. Awards are presented at the SET Conference gala dinner.

Renewable Energy Systems

Power Generation Technologies

Energy Efficiency

Low Carbon Buildings and Future Cities

Waste Management and Water Treatment

Agri-food Technologies

Applications are currently closed. Details of the next round will be announced here in due course.

Past Winners

2026

Low Carbon Buildings and Future Cities

Professor Angui Li

Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology, China

Renewable Energy Systems

Dr Sieb Chanchamnan

Jeonbuk National University, South Korea

Energy Efficiency

Dr Sheher Yar Khan, Professor Shuli Liu, Dr Mahesh Kumar & Dr Zhiqi Xu

Beijing Institute of Technology, China

Power Generation Technologies

Professor Guiqiang Li

University of Science and Technology of China

Low Carbon Buildings and Future Cities

Dr Ke Qu

CarbonFutureX Group, UK

Energy Efficiency

Dr Zhen Li

Tsinghua University, China

Power Generation Technologies

Dr Sei Zhen Khong

National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan

Renewable Energy Systems

Professor Song Lv

Wuhan University of Technology, China

Energy Efficiency

Dr Yingying Yang

University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, China

Power Generation Technologies

Dr Nik Siti Hasniati Nik Leh & Dr Norazila Othman

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Agri-food Technologies

Dr Hasila Jarimi, Dr Ubaidah Syafiq, Dr Amir Azirul, Associate Professor Ahmad Fazlizan Abdullah, Associate Professor Adnan Ibrahim & Dr Muhammad Aqil Afham Rahmat

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

2025

Energy Efficiency

Dr Jingyu Cao

Hunan University, China

Renewable Energy Systems

Dr Erdem Cuce

Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Türkiye

Energy Efficiency

Dr Zhen Li

Tsinghua University, China

Low Carbon Buildings and Future Cities

Dr Emmanuel Tapia Brito

University of Nottingham, UK

Renewable Energy Systems

Dr Gordon Goh Yi Wei & Dr Norazila Othman

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Low Carbon Buildings and Future Cities

Dr Yongting Shen

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Renewable Energy Systems

Professor Ramesh K. Agarwal

Washington University in St. Louis, USA

Power Generation Technologies

Professor Guiqiang Li

University of Science and Technology of China

Renewable Energy Systems

Mr Pranab Jyoti Ghosh

Government of West Bengal

2024

Renewable Energy Systems

Dr Arif Karabuga

Halic University, Türkiye

Low Carbon Buildings and Future Cities

Dr Shihao Zhang

Suzhou University of Science and Technology, China

Renewable Energy Systems

Dr Yijie Zhang

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Low Carbon Buildings and Future Cities

Dr Ying Kuang

Hubei University of Technology, China

Energy Efficiency

Dr Pinar Mert Cuce

Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Türkiye

Agri-food Technologies

Dr Binjian Nie

University of Oxford, UK

Energy Efficiency

Professor Xingxing Zhang

Hogskolan Dalarna, Sweden

Agri-food Technologies

Associate Professor Yi Fan, Dr Tao Zhang, Dr Jingkui Zhang

Shanghai University of Electric Power, China

Renewable Energy Systems

Professor Shuli Liu

Beijing Institute of Technology, China

Renewable Energy Systems

Dr Bendong Yu, Professor Jie Ji, Dr Niansi Li

Nanjing Tech University and University of Science and Technology of China

2023

Renewable Energy Systems

Professor Qiliang Wang

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China

Renewable Energy Systems

Dr Jingyong Cai

Shanghai University of Electric Power, China

Renewable Energy Systems

Associate Professor Bin Zhao

University of Science and Technology of China

Waste Management and Water Treatment

Dr Muhammad Wakil Shahzad

Northumbria University, UK

Renewable Energy Systems

Dr Cagri Kutlu

University of Nottingham, UK

Power Generation Technologies

Dr Pinar Mert Cuce

Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Türkiye

2022

Renewable Energy Systems

Assistant Professor Mohammad Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury

Centre for Energy Research, Bangladesh

Energy Efficiency

Mr Bernhard Adler

ecop Technologies GmbH, Austria

Renewable Energy Systems

Dr Wan Nur Adilah Wan Roshdan & Dr Hasila Jarimi

Solar Energy Research Institute, Malaysia

Agri-food Technologies

Dr Emmanuel Tapia Brito

University of Nottingham, UK

Renewable Energy Systems

Professor Avinash Kumar Agarwal

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India

2020 / 2021

Renewable Energy Systems

Professor Yanping Yuan

Southwest Jiaotong University, China

Power Generation Technologies

Professor Meng Ni

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Renewable Energy Systems

Professor Mingke Hu

University of Nottingham, UK

Energy Efficiency

Professor Zhenjun Ma

University of Wollongong, Australia

Low Carbon Buildings and Future Cities

Mr Brian Murphy

National Green Specification Ltd., UK

2019

Renewable Energy Systems

Professor Kamaruzzaman Sopian & Dr Abdelnaser Muftah A Elbrki

Solar Energy Research Institute, National University of Malaysia

Water Treatment & Desalination

Dr Ashraf Sadik Hassan

Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute

Low Carbon Buildings and Future Cities

Professor Mat Santamouris

University of New South Wales, Australia

Renewable Energy Systems

Professor Wei He

Hefei University of Technology, China

Energy Efficiency

Professor Angui Li

Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology, China

Renewable Energy Systems

Professor Gang Pei

University of Science and Technology of China

2018

Renewable Energy Systems

Professor Chong Wen Tong

University of Malaya, Malaysia

Energy Efficiency

Associate Professor Chua Kian Jon Ernest

National University of Singapore

Renewable Energy Systems

Dr Shuai Deng & Dr Yawen Liang

Tianjin University, China

Sustainable Materials

Dr Shin-Ku Lee & Dr Benson Lau

National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan & University of Westminster, UK

Renewable Energy Systems

Professor Hongfei Zheng

Beijing Institute of Technology, China

Water Treatment & Desalination

Professor Yanjun Dai

Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

Agri-food Technologies

Dr Wen Liu

University of Science and Technology of China

Energy Efficiency

Professor Xudong Zhao & Dr Xiaoli Ma

University of Hull, UK

Power Generation Technologies

Professor Bin Zhu & Emeritus Professor Peter Lund

China University of Geosciences & Aalto University, Finland

WSSET Award

WSSET Award of Scientific Excellence

Presented at the SET Conference gala dinner, the WSSET Award of Scientific Excellence recognises researchers who have demonstrated exceptional scientific achievement and a sustained record of high-impact work in sustainable energy, environment and engineering.

This award celebrates not just a single contribution, but a body of work that has advanced the field and inspired others. Recipients are selected by the WSSET Executive Committee in consultation with our body of Fellows.

Presented annually at the SET Conference gala dinner

Selected by the WSSET Executive Committee in consultation with our Fellows

To request consideration, email secretary@wsset.org with your CV, a summary of your research contributions and a list of key publications

Award of Scientific Excellence

Recipients

One researcher is honoured each year. The award was presented for the first time at SET2026 in Kuala Lumpur.

2026 First recipient

Professor Jie Ji

Chair Professor, Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China

Professor Ji is the only Chair Professor in his department at USTC and a Core Distinguished Researcher of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has built a global reputation in the comprehensive utilisation of solar energy.

His work established the theory of full-spectrum cascade utilisation, alongside advances in photovoltaic/thermal comprehensive utilisation and multi-effect solar energy building integration. Published output in these areas ranks first in the world.

Selected recognition

Stanford University World's Top 2% Scientists, career-long impact
Elsevier Highly Cited Chinese Researchers, every year since 2014
WSSET Outstanding Achievement Award
Chinese Renewable Energy Society Outstanding Contribution Award, sole recipient
First Prize for Scientific and Technological Invention, CRES
China Industry-University-Research Cooperation Innovation Award
Newton Nomination Award
European Dragon Star Innovation Award
Fellow of WSSET. Executive Committee Member, CRES

SET Conference Awards

Presented at the SET Conference gala dinner, these awards celebrate the best research submitted and presented at the annual conference.

Best Paper Award

Awarded to the most exceptional paper submitted to the SET Conference, selected for originality, scientific rigour and contribution to the field. Selected papers are recommended for publication in WSSET affiliated journals.

The SET Conference

Best Poster Award

Presented to the most outstanding poster at the SET Conference, recognised for clarity of communication, visual impact and the quality of research presented to the conference audience.

The SET Conference