The Global Cooling Prize team announced today that the timeline for the Prize timeline has been extended as a result of the global escalation of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, in order to continue to prioritize the health and safety of all who are associated with the Prize, and achieve our primary goals of integrity and equity of the Prize process and successfully demonstrate cooling solutions that meet the Prize criteria. 
Through the Supervisory Board and Operating Council of the Prize, the team came to an agreement to extend the deadline for the delivery of working prototypes to August 22, 2020 — a three-month extension from the previous deadline of May 22, 2020. This new date will allow testing to be undertaken from September 2020 to January 2021, with final adjudication and award events happening in February and March 2021, respectively.
In establishing these new dates, the team recognizes that this may not be the last extension necessary should global disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic continue into the northern hemisphere summer months. They will continue to monitor the situation and respond in accordance to the Prize priorities and goals on a timely basis.
About the Global Cooling Prize
A global coalition led by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India; Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) — a leading global research institute; and Mission Innovation — a global initiative of 24 countries and the European Union to accelerate global clean energy innovation — launched the Global Cooling Prize in November 2018 with the aim of spurring the development of a radically more efficient, climate-friendly residential cooling solution. The initiative is also supported by Conservation X Labs, Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), and CEPT University, and a coalition of over 20 leading international non-profit organizations who have congratulated the Finalist teams through a special video, linked here.
RMI Chief Executive Officer Jules Kortenhorst highlighted the critical climate threat the world faces from the booming demand for comfort cooling. “The Residential / Room AC industry represents a 60-billion-dollar market today and is set to grow to nearly four times that size by 2050, he said. “The Prize initiates an era of transformation and global innovation for the cooling industry. A breakthrough technology has the potential to prevent up to 75 gigatons (GT) of CO2-equivalent emissions by 2050, whilst providing affordable access to cooling in parts of the world where it is becoming a critical need.”
Since the Prize was launched, over 2,100 participant registrations from around the globe have been submitted by innovators, start-ups, research institutes, universities, and key industry manufacturers in over 95 countries. Of the registered entities, 445 teams submitted preliminary ideas and 139 teams from 31 countries followed through with a full Detailed Technical Application to the Prize. The finalists have been awarded US$200,000 each to develop and ship their prototypes to India for testing later this year.
Sources: March Newsletter Global Cooling Prize & https://globalcoolingprize.org/finalist-global-press-release/
