PICNIC could be one of the most important events throughout all of Europe when it comes to innovation and new business.  With a huge base of support from all over the world, it hosts a gathering for individuals and businesses to learn about the future of media, technology, entertainment, art, science and the creative process.  This year the organization has teamed up with the Dutch Postcode Lottery to present the PICNIC Green Challenge 2008 for another contest in green technology innovation.

The contest awards €500,000 to the team who invents the best new green product and service to help aid the battle in global warming.  While the deadline for the contest was July 31, the preliminary jury (made up of Bill Moggride, the co-founder of the Silicon Valley-based design firm IDEO and Jim Walker, CEO for Climate Group just to name a few) is currently selecting three to five finalists to present their ideas in person in Amsterdam at PICNIC '08.  After this public Deciding Round, the final jury will choose the winner on September 25.  Shortly after that the awarded or services may become widely available to the rest of us!

Last year's grand prize winner, a company called Qurrent, is currently in the post-prototype stage of their idea and are marketing it to energy and real-estate-management companies.  The product is called a QBox, which according to the PICNIC website does three things:

(1) It optimises energy use, turning things like your washing machine on and off when it's most efficient and cheapest. (2) It monitors energy use, giving you clear insight into energy flows in your home, presented in a user-friendly fashion. And (3) it’s a router for a Local Energy Network (LEN) in your neighbourhood, connecting you to the grid and to your neighbours

Qurrent hopes the device will lower the cost of decentralized energy systems, which will allow them to become more widespread.

To stay updated on how PICNIC may introduce new green technology into your life, visit their website.