Director of Energy and Smart City, Eilat Municipality: Climate urban innovation in Eilat, Israel
Elad Topel is the founder & Director General of ARAVA Environmental, Consulting & Technology Ltd. (ARAVA). Arava was established in 2009 in the Arava Institute in Kibbutz Ketura. The company is the forerunner in Renewable Energy, Energy Storage and Energy Efficiency in Israel. Arava with its team of experts lead by Elad is working with local authorities and cities in Israel towards Net-Zero Emissions plans and execution. Arava is the first company in Israel to execute off-grid projects in factories and cities. the projects include The Source Off Grid Project, Ye’elim off grid project, Nof-Edom Off Grid Project, Nizzana and more. It is also the first company to establish small scale Gasification project in Israel that use agricultural waste and convert it to energy. Elad has an MSc in Ecology from The Arava Institute and BGU and he is researching the connection between natural resources and urban resiliency.
In Eilat City, Elad act as the Smart City Manager, he is working under the guidance of the Mayor of Eilat together with Mr. Assaf Admon, the head of the Eilat-Eilot Environmental Unit. During 2021, Assaf and Elad established the international project department which allocate and recruit finance from Horizon Europe. As of today, the department is managed Seven EU projects in Eilat. The projects are mainly in Energy, Transportation, Water and Resiliency. Elad is leading the City’s vision for Energy Neutrality by 2030 as part of the city’s vision for 100% carbon neutrality by 2030. The Carbon Neutrality vision is part of the 100 cities mission set by the EU Horizon Europe which Eilat was the only city in Israel to be part of.