A sum of €100,000 will be provided to the school or kindergarten that will write the best essay on how they economize on energy. The contest is held by the Chisinau City Hall in partnership with the Institute for Development and Social Initiative (IDIS) “Viitorul” and is financed by the European Commission, Info-Prim Neo reports. “In order to take the top prize, the institutions must present a well thought out plan of action for economizing on energy. This means that in winter they would lose no heat through the cracked or not tightly closed windows and would waste no electric power,” said deputy mayor of Chisinau Nistor Grozavu. The contest is open to all the schools and kindergartens of Chisinau. The €100,000 will be used to change the heating system and insulate the walls. There will be also offered two prizes of €5,000 and €3,500. IDIS “Viitorul” director Liubomir Chiriac said that the project is aimed at optimizing the use of energy. During the next three months, experts of the Institute will carry out three feasibility studies centering on the efficiency of street lighting, optimization of traffic and insulation of apartment buildings. These studies will enable the Chisinau administration to attract investment and infrastructure development projects. Gabriela Ciumac, the head of the City Hall’s Foreign Relations, Regional Cooperation and European Integration Division, said the cost of the project is over €673,000. It was devised in 2008 and approved by the European Commission late last year. The beneficiaries of the project are Chisinau and Ukraine’s Sevastopol. The deadline for applications is January 20, 2011. The award ceremony will take place on March 15. The Increasing Energy Efficiency of Chisinau and Sevastopol Municipalities based on Existing Positive Experience Project is supported financially by the European Commission and the Cooperation in Urban Development and Dialog Program.