About the Prize

What is the duration of this competition?

The Global Cooling Prize will run for a period of 2 years starting November 12, 2018. The top ten finalists will be tentatively disclosed around November 2019 and interim awards will be distributed to them for development of the prototypes of their cooling technology. The final winner will be disclosed around November 2020. More information can be found on Timelines & Milestones page of the website.

Who can participate in the Prize?

We are seeking submissions from incumbent cooling technology providers, emerging innovators in space cooling and similar technologies, as well as professors, students, and researchers from universities and laboratories around the world. Anyone with a great idea can apply for the prize.

Can we participate in the Global Cooling Prize as a consortium of two or more organizations?

Yes, a team comprising of multiple member organizations is allowed to participate in the prize. This allows individual component manufacturers to team up, combine their expertise and come up with the cooling technology. However, we do request you to identify as one team with one team leader for correspondence purposes.

Can one team submit more than one application?

We will accept only one application per team. Only the team leader of your team can submit the application so if you want to submit additional ideas, please start a new application with a different team leader to propose those new designs through the application process. Please do not submit the same design twice as they will not be considered.

Can I add more members to my team profile within the applicant portal?

No, you cannot add more team members to your team on the applicant portal. The team leader can share his/her login credentials with the team so everyone on the team can access the portal but through one login. In the case that two teams merge into one, we request the team leaders of these teams to create a new team and decide on a new team leader for registering with the prize.

Will Global Cooling Prize share my personal details with others?

The Global Cooling Prize coalition shall not disclose or convey your personal information to third parties, except to its entrusted agencies for purposes related to this prize. The participant will be contacted for permissions ahead of time if the coalition intends to feature the participant for branding and marketing purposes.

How can I partner with the Global Cooling Prize?

If you want to increase the reach and impact of this prize or want to directly support teams with resources and expertise, or you are interested in becoming a partner, please share with us how you would like to be part of this journey. More information can be found on the Get Involved page of the website.

What kind of support will participants get from the Global Cooling Prize coalition?

Participants will get support from a network of global experts in both technical and nontechnical areas, including prototype development, business model development, market entry strategies, practicing business pitches, and raising investment.

What is the prize purse?

The total prize purse of the competition is USD 3 million. The top ten finalists selected on the basis of their technical proposal submission will be awarded a prize money of USD 200,000 each for development and shipping of their two prototype models to India. The final winner will receive the grand prize of USD 1 million.

How will the prize money of US $200,000 be disbursed to the shortlisted finalists of the Global Cooling Prize?

The shortlisted finalists will be awarded a prize of US $200,000 in two tranches of US $100,000 equivalent each. The first tranche of US $100,000 will be disbursed when the selected finalist executes a letter of agreement with the Global Cooling Prize Organizers that this funding will be used solely for the development and delivery of two prototypes as required for the testing stage of the competition. The second tranche of US $100,000 will be disbursed upon the receipt of two working prototypes by the Global Cooling Prize Organizers.

Apply for the Prize

When does the prize portal start accepting applications for participating in the prize?

You can apply for the prize by registering here.

When is the last date to apply to the prize?

The last date to apply to participate in the prize is on August 31, 2019. Applications after this date will not be accepted.

Is there any registration fee required to participate in the Global Cooling Prize?

No fees will be charged to participate in or apply to the Prize.

What is the next step after I have registered?

After you have successfully registered, we ask that you complete and submit the ‘Participant Intent to Apply’ form to showcase your interest in the Prize. This form should be submitted on or before June 30, 2019 and no late submissions will be accepted. The form can be accessed after successful registration and is a prerequisite of supported participation through to the detailed technical application deadline of August 31, 2019. 

Application Process

What is the purpose of the Participant Intent to Apply form?

The Participant Intent to Apply form is the first phase of the Global Cooling Prize competition. The form requires the participants to provide sufficient information about their team and cooling solution to showcase their intent to participate in the Global Cooling Prize.

What documents are required as part of the Participant Intent to Apply form?

No documents are required as part of this initial form. The participants are required to fill an online form by providing information about their team and proposed cooling solution.

Can I submit the Participant Intent to Apply form more than once?

The Participant Intent to Apply form can be submitted only once. The form can be saved at any step and allows the participant to resume the work at any time. However, once submitted, the form cannot be edited and will be available in view only mode.

What is the purpose of having Participant Intent to Apply form and Detailed Technical Application?

The Participant Intent to Apply form is a non-evaluation submission meant to gauge the interest of the participant and to know about the team and the cooling technology. The Detailed Technical Application, on the other hand, expects the participant to provide comprehensive information about the innovative cooling technology along with a detailed schematic, design calculations, technical drawings, showcasing the achievement of the Prize Criteria. This will be evaluated by the Technical Review Committee and selection of top 10 finalists will be made.

What is the next step after I have submitted the Intent to Apply form?

After you have submitted the Intent to Apply form, the next step is to submit the Detailed Technical Application form. This form should be submitted on or before August 31, 2019.

What happens after I have submitted the Detailed Technical Application?

After you have submitted the Detailed Technical Application, the technical review committee will evaluate your application. All applications will be assessed based on the completeness and details provided against each requirement to help the technical review committee assess the technology’s performance as per the prize criteria. The Technical Review Committee may ask the prize organizers to contact the participant for additional information or clarifying questions if necessary. Post evaluation of the submitted application, up to 10 finalists will be shortlisted and given prize awards towards prototype development of their ideas.

Can I request re-evaluation of my application if I am not selected or do not win?

No, all the applications will be evaluated by the Technical Review Committee based on a common evaluation criteria and the decision of this Committee in selecting up to 10 participants will be considered final and not subject to any appeal or arbitration.

Applicant Portal

Will the participant profile be visible to others applying to the Prize?

On registering with the Global Cooling Prize, the default settings will keep the participant profile hidden from others. If the participant wants to make the profile public, it can be done by modifying the Profile Privacy section under the Settings page.

Can I message people for potential partnerships in the applicant portal?

The participant can search for and send personalized messages to other applicants only if the profile privacy settings have been updated to include their names in the directory.

In the applicant portal, what is the purpose of Forums?

Forums allow all participants to interact with each other. Participants can use this platform to seek other members for their team or share interesting/relevant news with other participants. It is a public forum for discussion but optional for all users. We advise all participants to engage in the discussions of the Forum at their sole discretion.

Technical Evaluation

What is the baseline unit for the competition?

The baseline room air conditioner (RAC) unit selected is a Voltas 1.5 TR (5.3 kW) fixed-speed, mini-split type RAC unit with an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of 3.5 W/W and using R22 refrigerant with a global warming potential (GWP) of 1760 (based on IPCC AR5 report).The model details of the baseline AC unit are: Voltas SAC 183 JZJ.

How is the baseline energy consumption evaluated?

The baseline unit’s electricity consumption is based on RMI’s energy model, simulating a 90 square meter apartment with south and east exposure, in New Delhi, India and is determined to be 2,969 kWh/year. The energy model considers the full year temperature and humidity seasonal profile for New Delhi and requires the baseline unit to maintain the indoor conditions below 27°C dry bulb temperature (DBT) and 60% relative humidity (RH) when the outdoor air temperature is above 20°C DBT.

What will it take to win the Global Cooling Prize competition?

The Prize Criteria of the Global Cooling Prize has two components: Primary Criteria and Supplementary Criteria. The “Primary Criteria” includes the Climate Impact and Affordability Criteria. The “Supplementary Criteria” includes the limitations on refrigerants, water, full-load power consumption, materials and operational requirements that a participating cooling technology should overcome in order to qualify for the competition. Points will be awarded to the participating technologies based on their performance on the climate impact and affordability criteria as compared to the baseline for this competition. Finally, a combination of the total points scored on the primary criteria and the achievement of the supplementary criteria will be used to rank the finalists, thus reflecting the Prize’s objective of identifying a solution with 5X lower climate impact at no more than 2X the cost of today’s standard AC units to consumers.  

What is the meaning of 5X less climate impact?

The 5X in the Global Cooling Prize implies that the cooling solution must achieve at least five times or 80% lower climate impact compared to the climate impact of the baseline unit. The climate impact is evaluated through a combination of reduction in grid electricity consumption (kWh) and the reduction in global warming potential (GWP) of the refrigerant used. The 80:20 weighting is used for electricity and refrigerant respectively, to arrive at the overall climate impact of the cooling solution.

How is the 5X lower climate impact criteria determined?

The climate impact of a cooling technology is determined by a combination of two factors – electricity reduction (kWh) and refrigerant GWP reduction, using assigned weighting of 80:20 respectively, as compared to the baseline. To achieve a 5X lower climate impact, an overall reduction of 80% (electricity kWh and refrigerant GWP combined) as compared to the baseline will be required. For example, if a technology achieves a 75% reduction in electricity from the baseline and also uses a zero GWP refrigerant, it achieves a 100% reduction from the GWP baseline (R22 at a GWP of 1760). The overall percentage reduction achieved using the assigned 80:20 weighting would be 80% or 5X lower climate impact.

How are points awarded for the 5X climate impact criteria?

To achieve a 5X lower climate impact, an overall reduction of 80% (using the assigned 80:20 weighting for electricity and refrigerant respectively) as compared to the baseline will be required. The overall percentage reduction achieved from the baseline will then be converted to equivalent points. A zero percent reduction from the baseline i.e. a technology at baseline will receive zero points. A technology achieving 100% reduction from the baseline will receive 100 points. Any percentage reduction between 0% and 100% will be ratably converted to equivalent points between 0 to 100. Example: A technology that is powered by solar PV mounted on it, without exceeding the overall unit volumetric sizing requirement, and uses zero GWP refrigerant, would achieve an overall reduction of 100% from the baseline and will receive 100 points. If a technology achieves a 75% reduction in electricity from the baseline and also uses a zero GWP refrigerant, it achieves a 100% reduction from the GWP baseline (R22 at a GWP of 1760). The overall percentage reduction achieved using the assigned 80:20 weighting would be 80%, and therefore will receive 80 points.

Is 80% climate impact reduction (5X) from the baseline an absolute limit below which a technology cannot compete?

The Climate Impact is one of the two primary criteria of this competition and it is the expectation that all the participating technologies achieve at least 5X lower climate impact than the climate impact of the baseline AC unit.

To the extent that the total number of qualifying finalists selected, that meet or exceed the 5X lower climate impact criteria, falls short of the desired number of teams to go through to the final round, the Technical Review Committee may decide to invite designs that meet all other threshold criteria, show high early stage potential to exceed 80% climate impact reduction in the future and currently exceed at least a 64% climate impact reduction from the baseline, to develop prototypes for testing.

Will my application be considered if the technology is not able to achieve 5X lower climate impact criteria but can reduce energy consumption in connected systems in a home?

If a participant can demonstrate in their application that the cooling technology effectively delivers the full 5X lower climate impact through a combination of the standalone unit performance and reducing energy consumption in adjacent systems, the Technical Review Committee may decide to consider such application as complying with the climate impact criteria. In such a case, the Technical Review Committee will include the corresponding incremental climate impact and to the degree appropriate award additional points. The final selection will depend on the total points obtained with regard to the climate impact criteria and the affordability criteria, reflecting the Prize’s objective of identifying a solution with 5X lower climate impact at no more than 2X the cost of today’s standard AC units to consumers.

Can renewable energy be used to meet the 5x goal?

Renewable energy harvested by the device may be used, subject to the following criteria:

  • Any renewable energy generation equipment used must be directly integrated into the cooling unit.
  • The energy offset is accounted for only if it is used directly by the cooling equipment (net metering is not accounted for).
  • The renewable energy component combined with the AC unit must not exceed the maximum size outlined under the scalability criteria.

What is meant by cooling solution’s “installed cost to consumer”? Does it include any labor costs or taxes required for installation of the cooling technology?

The cooling solution’s “installed cost to consumer” includes the cost of all AC components, any installation related materials and consumables such as refrigerant, piping, and other costs and margins (profit margins, distribution costs, overhead cost etc.). For the purpose of this competition, the evaluation of installed cost will assume a consistent “other costs and margins” which is 60% of the total installed cost to consumer. Also, the installed cost to consumer will not include any labor costs required for installation and any taxes to consumers. 

What does manufacturing scale mean for the cost assessment criteria? What is the manufacturing volume at which the cost of the prototype air conditioner will be assessed as part of the criteria?

The technology’s final cost to consumer will be evaluated at manufacturing scale of 100,000 (hundred thousand) units by a panel of industrial engineers using the Bill of Materials (BoM) and other documentation submitted as part of the Detailed Technical Application. The panel of industrial engineers will use the information to arrive at the material cost estimates for the AC unit’s components at a manufacturing scale of 100,000 units. The standard distribution costs and margins will then be added to this cost and the final cost to the consumer will be determined (excluding taxes). This final cost to the consumer should be less than two times (2X) the baseline unit’s cost to the consumer.

How should the material cost be estimated or determined for any material, component or consumable that is procured from the market at retail price and is used in manufacturing and/or assembly of the cooling solution?

For any material, component or consumable that is directly procured from the market at retail or wholesale price, it is expected that the participant use that price as the unit cost of that material, component or consumable to input in the excel template “Total installed cost to consumer”. The participant should then estimate the unit cost of that material, component or consumable when procured or manufactured at a scale of 100,000 units per year and provide any supporting assumptions and references. Similarly, the unit cost of all other material, component or consumable should be determined/estimated (in respective tabs in the excel template provided in the technical application), and this combined cost at a scale of 100,000 units per year will be multiplied by 2.5 in order to calculate the “total installed cost to consumer” for the cooling solution.

Is there a specified methodology for cost estimation of the components, as the price for manufacturing the same component in different locations or countries can be different?

The cooling solution’s “installed cost to consumer” includes the cost of all AC components, any installation related materials and consumables such as refrigerant, piping, and other costs and margins (profit margins, distribution costs, overhead cost etc.). This cost should be assessed at the quality standards of the test market i.e. India (at minimum) for this competition. 

Will the cost assessment criteria consider local financing or policy incentives or mechanisms such as discounts, rebates, bulk procurement, on-bill financing?

No. The cost evaluation will not take into consideration any financing mechanism or incentives available in the market. Our assessment will be purely based on the bill of materials and other relevant information shared with us through the application which will then be evaluated by an independent panel of industrial engineers.

Is 2X Affordability Criteria an absolute limit below which a technology will be strictly eliminated?

The Affordability is one of the two primary criteria of this competition and it is the expectation that all the submitting technologies achieve the cost of no more than 2X the cost of the baseline unit at assessed manufacturing scale of 100,000 units.

If a competing technology is not able to achieve the 2X cost limit at assessed scale but the participants can demonstrate in their application that the cooling technology brings reduced cost benefits in adjacent systems, the Technical Review Committee may decide to consider such applications as complying with the criteria and reflect the corresponding reduction in costs. The final selection will depend on the total points obtained with regard to the climate impact criteria and the affordability criteria, reflecting the Prize’s objective of identifying a solution with 5X lower climate impact at no more than 2X the cost of today’s standard AC units to consumers.

If the cooling solution does not meet the 1.5 TR (5.3 kW) cooling capacity requirement but meets all the other prize criteria, does the cooling solution qualify for the Global Cooling Prize?

The cooling capacity of the participating technologies will be assessed as part of the Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) test. This requirement is also part of the “Operation” criteria of the prize. We believe that a cooling solution that has a design capacity of less than 1.5 TR (5.3 kW) will find it challenging to maintain the indoor conditions below 27°C dry bulb temperature (DBT) and 60% relative humidity (RH) throughout the test period when the outdoor air temperature is above 20°C DBT. However, based on the overall performance of the cooling technology against the prize criteria, the Technical Review Committee will take the final decision on allowing such technology to continue in the competition.

Can the cooling technology use a Class B refrigerant in the outdoor to produce chilled water which then circulates in the indoor unit to produce cooling?

The refrigerant criterion of the prize requires that the cooling technology uses Class A refrigerant that has low toxicity and is considered safe for residential applications. However, if the participant chooses to use a Class B refrigerant, which has higher toxicity, but restricts its use to outdoor unit of the air conditioner with no exposure to the inhabitants, the Technical Review Committee may allow such a solution, provided it meets all other prize criteria, at their sole discretion. 

What is the maximum allowable charge of a flammable refrigerant for the competition?

For the purpose of evaluating the ability of a solution to meet the stated international guideline IEC 60335-2-40 for maximum allowable charge of a flammable refrigerant, participants should assume the room size to be 25 square meter for determining refrigerant charge. This aligns with the sizing of the internal chamber that will be used for the lab simulated year-round performance test at CEPT University, India. Also, for the field test, this room size will be materially similar to that of the master bedroom or living room where the prototypes of finalist technologies will be installed in the apartment units. Please note that the apartment units selected for the field test will have multiple rooms for a total area of approximately 90 square meters. Apartment units for the field test have not yet been selected; we will share the final sizing, floor plans and details with all participants as soon as the apartments are secured.

Does the 700 W requirement for the power criteria exclude the power consumption using thermal or solar energy?

Yes, the 700 W maximum power demand criterion applies to power draw from the electricity grid i.e. if the cooling technology has an integrated solar panel, that generation is not counted towards the 700 W limit. However, the cooling solution using any thermal energy source or solar energy source will have to also meet the affordability, scalability and emissions criteria of the prize to compete in the competition.

What is the Scalability criteria for the prize. How is the total volumetric size of the cooling solution calculated?

The Scalability criteria requires that the total volumetric size of the cooling solution should not be more than two times the volumetric size of the baseline unit i.e. the total volumetric size should not exceed 0.52 cubic meters. The total volumetric size must include any dedicated renewable power generation resources and any external components that make up the proposed solution.

 

The volumetric size of the cooling system is calculated as the sum of the measured maximum height, width and depth of each standalone assembly and any integrated external components as configured in the operation mode.

 

The below image in Figure 1 can be used to determine the volumetric size of each standalone assembly.

Figure 1

If the cooling solution has integrated solar PV panels, the PV can rotate or auto-adjust the tilt angle to orient it to the sun to ensure maximum generation. The additional space behind the panel will not be counted towards the volumetric size. The below image in Figure 2 can be used to understand the calculation of the volumetric size of a cooling system with an integrated solar PV or any other external component that is integrated in a similar way to the cooling system.

Figure 2:

Is the piping volume included as part of the scalability criteria of the prize?

No, standard piping connections required for components or collecting condensate will not be included in determining the total volumetric size of the cooling technology. However, if the piping volume is materially different from that used baseline AC unit (1.5 TR mini-split AC unit for this the competition), it may be considered in the total volumetric size constraint of 0.52 cubic meters at the sole discretion of the Technical Review Committee.

Is there an estimate of how many hours of operation per year is the cooling technology expected to be operated for?

The energy simulation of the baseline AC unit – 1.5 TR (5.3 kW), fixed speed, EER 3.5 W/W mini split unit, operating in a typical apartment indicates 1600-2200 operational hours depending on the climatic location in India. The actual operation hours could be reduced or increased based on the proposed cooling solution. For the purpose of this prize, the solution should demonstrate that it meets the Operation criteria i.e. maintain indoor conditions below 27°C dry bulb temperature (DBT) and 60% relative humidity when the outdoor air temperature is above 20°C DBT, during the technical application and testing phase with a provision for unmet hours allowance. Hence, there is no specific operating hours constraint for the competition as long as the proposed solution meets the Operation criteria. For more details on the Testing, please visit the Testing Protocol page. 

Will I get disqualified if I do not meet some of the Supplementary Criteria?

The achievement of the minimum threshold indicated under each supplementary criteria i.e. power draw, water, emissions, materials, refrigerant, scalability, operation is an expectation of all applications.

During evaluation of the Detailed Technical Application, if one or more supplementary criteria are not met, the Technical Review Committee will take a decision on whether or not the participant is qualified to compete in the competition.

Similarly, during the testing stage, in case one or more supplementary criteria are not met by the competing technologies, the Technical Review Committee will take a decision on whether or not the participant is qualified to compete in the final round.

Will credit be provided towards the climate impact or affordability criteria if the cooling solution reduces energy consumption or capital costs in adjacent system?

An “adjacent system” is defined as a system which is typically installed or will be installed in an existing apartment building to serve the cooling or heating requirements. If the operation of the cooling solution coincides with such heating or cooling requirement in an adjacent system such that it offsets the energy use and/or capital cost of such a system, the Technical Review Committee will reflect the corresponding incremental climate impact or reduced capital costs in the evaluation of the solution.

How many extra points could be obtained for a cooling solution with heat recovery for hot water generation? What the specific evaluation methodology for this?

An energy credit of up to 5% of the baseline AC unit’s energy consumption, will be given to the participants designing a cooling solution with heat recovery to generate hot water.  

The methodology that will be adopted is noted below –   

  • Electricity savings for hot water system, resulting from heat recovery, will be deducted from the cooling electricity consumption and accordingly the Climate Impact criteria points will be calculated using the Prize Criteria tool  
  • The electricity savings will be considered only for the number of days (or hours) that the cooling solution operates. 
  • The maximum credit that the participants will be allowed for the electricity savings will be the lower of two –  
    •  Actual calculated electricity savings based on measurements/analysis   
    • 5% of the total energy consumption of baseline AC unit for this prize 

Please note that any material cost (such as piping, heat exchanger) associated with integrating a hot water system with the cooling solution must be included in the bill of material details as part of the  Affordability criteria. 

Are energy conservation measures allowed to reduce the usage of air conditioners?

No, the prize is focused on the efficiency and climate impact of the cooling technology only. Any other energy conservation measure that is not related to the technology will not be considered. 

Are any Scope 1 emissions allowed in case I power my technology entirely from renewable sources?

No, the participants are not allowed to include any system that depends on onsite combustion of fossil fuels. Including distributed combustion sources not only possesses potential safety concerns for residential applications, but also undermines the impact of increasing penetration of renewables in the electricity grid and the corresponding reduction in grid emissions intensity.  

What should be the readiness level of my cooling technology to compete in the competition?

The structure of the Global Cooling Prize competition is designed to support the winning technology to scale in markets across the world. Up to 10 shortlisted technologies would be required to develop and produce two prototypes of their solution which will be tested in India. They will be notified around November 2019 and then required to deliver two fully operational prototypes for field testing by May 2020 i.e. at this stage the shortlisted technologies will be at least TRL 6 (prototype systems tested in intended environment with close to expected performance). At successful completion of the field testing in 2020, technologies would be TRL 7 (demonstration system operating in intended environment at pre-commercial scale.

It is an expectation of the Technical Review Committee that the participants are able to demonstrate the readiness of their cooling technology for field testing in May 2020 when submitting their Detailed Technical Applications in August 2019. It is a clear expectation for participants selected to go to the next round (i.e. testing stage) that they either are at or have a route to quickly transition to the required technology readiness level in order to meet the requirement of development and production of two prototypes by May 2020 and compete further in the competition.

Who are the judges for the Global Cooling Prize?

The Technical Review Committee will be the judges of the Prize and will be responsible for setting the technical criteria, reviewing applications, and selecting the finalists and winning solution. All decisions of the technical review committee will be considered final and not subject to any appeal or arbitration.

Scoring Method

How can I determine my cooling technology’s total score for this competition if I know its performance against each prize criteria?

A Scoring Tool has been developed to help participants evaluate the climate impact of their technologies and estimate the total points scored based on the performance of their cooling solution on the prize technical criteria. You can test your technology using our Prize Criteria Tool.

Testing Protocol

What happens if I am shortlisted based on the detailed Technical Application?

Once you are shortlisted among the finalists based on your Technical Application, interim prize money of US $200,000, disbursed in two tranches of US $100,000 equivalent each, will be awarded to you to support the development and production of two prototypes of your cooling solution. You will then need to ship these two prototypes to India (if manufactured outside India) to pre-specified location(s) by May 2020 for the testing stage of the prize. The testing, spanning over a period from May to September 2020, will comprise of three different testing phases –  Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) test, Lab simulated year-round performance test, and Field test, and the prototypes will be required to demonstrate performance in accordance with the criteria of the prize in all the three phases.

What are the three phases of testing stage of the Global Cooling Prize?

The testing stage of the Global Cooling Prize competition will involve testing of the prototypes under three different phases – Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) test, Lab simulated year-round performance test, and Field test. The prototypes will be required to demonstrate performance in accordance with the prize criteria in all the three testing phases.

What is the Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) test and how it will be conducted?

In India, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) uses a metric called the Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) for variable capacity systems to determine the seasonal performance of the air conditioners under varying outdoor conditions. ISEER is a ratio of the total annual amount of heat that the equipment can remove from the indoor air when operated for cooling in active mode to the total annual amount of energy consumed by the equipment during the same period.

The ISEER test measures the rated cooling capacity and power consumption of the air conditioners to provide an ISEER rating to the air conditioners. The cooling capacity and associated power consumption tests are done in accordance with IS 1391: Part 1 and IS 1391: Part 2 which use the following testing conditions. The participant can purchase the IS 1391 standards here.

To determine the ISEER, the annual cooling seasonal energy consumption and cooling seasonal total load are calculated based on the bin temperature range of 24-43°C and 1600 hours of operation over the year using the formulae and methodology defined in clause 6.1 and clause 6.7 of ISO 16358-1: 2013 standard.  

The ISEER value determined using the above test method will be used by the Technical Review Committee during adjudication of the participating technologies. Further information on ISEER can be found here.

How much time will be given to develop the prototype units?

After up to 10 finalists are selected based on their detailed technical applications, each will be awarded interim prize money of up to US $200,000, disbursed in two tranches of US $100,000 equivalent each, to support the development of two prototypes. The two prototypes are required to be delivered to pre-specified locations in India by May 2020. 

Under what conditions will the Climate Impact criteria be evaluated - Field test or Lab simulated year-round performance test?

The 5X Climate Impact criteria requires the cooling technology to have one fifth (1/5th)  of the climate impact than that of the baseline unit by a combination of reduced grid electricity and refrigerant GWP (if any is used). The technologies shortlisted for the testing stage are expected to meet the climate impact criteria during all the three testing phases – Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) test, Lab simulated year-round performance test, and Field test to compete in the competition. During the lab simulated year-round performance test, where the prototype will be operated for 10 days continuously, the performance will be extrapolated using an assigned weighting for each day to give annual performance. The electricity consumption reduction specifically will be measured by taking the difference in performance between the baseline unit and the prototypes at the end of each testing phase. Overall, the reduction in climate impact will be calculated based on the actual difference in climate impact performance of a competing technology with the baseline AC unit in these testing phases.

During the lab simulated year-round performance test, what weights are assigned to each of the 10 test days for evaluating the annual performance?

During the lab simulated year-round performance test, the prototypes will be operated for the 10 typical days in continuous operation mode, excluding day to day transition and stabilization, and the performance will be extrapolated using an assigned weighting for each day to give annual performance. The typical 10 day weather profiles can be downloaded here. The assigned weighting factor for each day is provided in the table below and will be used to convert the 10 day performance of the cooling solution to annual performance.

Will the Lab simulated year-round performance test be for a complete 24 hours on any particular day?

The lab simulated year-round performance test is one of the three testing methods of the Global Cooling Prize that will be conducted at CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India. This test method involves an up to 12 days of testing where each prototype will be operated for 10 typical days in continuous operation mode, excluding day to day transition and stabilization and the performance will be extrapolated using an assigned weighting for each day to give annual performance. We are providing the 24 hour weather profile – dry bulb temperature, relative humidity and solar GHI (global horizontal irradiance), of 10 typical days of India that range from mild to extreme weather conditions, which will be simulated during the test. The typical 10 day weather profiles can be downloaded here.

During lab simulated year-round performance test, will the sun or wind be simulated to assess the performance of technologies using renewable sources?

For prototypes with integrated renewable energy sources (such as PV, solar thermal, or wind), where possible, the laboratory testing team may provide simulated renewable energy supply in the form of electricity or heat, or air movement. Simulated energy output will be based on the test weather profile conditions and standard component efficiencies where possible, or other test data (at the discretion of the technical review committee). Further validation of any renewable energy components will be undertaken in the field test.

During field test, will the technologies be tested under similar weather conditions?

Yes, all the selected technologies and the baseline unit will be installed and tested in materially identical apartments within the same time period to ensure similar weather conditions during testing.

Does the apartment used in baseline calculation contain one room or multiple rooms? During field test, will the apartment have multiple rooms? If yes, will the temperature and relative humidity be averaged for the entire apartment or will be measured at specific location and points?

The apartment considered in the energy model simulation for the baseline AC unit contains one large single room and it is ensured that the indoor conditions are maintained below 27°C dry bulb temperature (DBT) and 60% relative humidity (RH) when the outdoor air temperature is above 20°C DBT in a typical year for New Delhi, India. 

 

However, during the field test, the selected apartments may have multiple rooms. The Global Cooling Prize team will take necessary measures to ensure that these are materially equivalent in terms of size, envelope characteristics, solar access etc. The team will also ensure that the cooling load in the space will be able to be served by 1.5TR (5.3 kW) cooling system. Fans will be installed to ensure circulation and interior doors will be jammed fully open. The prototypes installed in these apartments are required to maintain the indoor conditions of below 27°C DBT and 60% RH when the outdoor air temperature is above 20°C DBT in the same room where the cooling technology is installed, at minimum.

Will rooftop access be allowed to harvest solar energy to power the cooling technology?

No rooftop access will be allowed. The primary reason for this is that the prize is focused on identifying an alternate unitary cooling equipment with high efficiency and lower climate impact for existing apartment buildings that would generally have no rooftop access. It is however acceptable to develop cooling solutions that may have integrated solar panels as part of their solution to harvest solar energy but will have to ensure that it meets affordability and scalability criteria of the prize.   

What type of residential apartment units will be used during field test? Will the apartment provided be south facing to facilitate PV generation if panels are integrated to the cooling technology?

We are in the process of selecting the apartments for the field test. While selecting the apartments, the Global Cooling Prize team will take necessary measures to ensure that these are materially equivalent, have cooling loads that can be met by a standard 1.5TR (5.3 kW) cooling system, and have similar access to solar irradiance. If integrated PV panels are a part of the solution, it will be ensured that these are uniformly facing between a southwest or southeast orientation.  

During testing, will structural modifications (example: making a hole in the wall) and electrical and plumbing upgrades to existing apartment building or lab be allowed?

Any structural modification, piping or electrical requirement will be considered “major” if it is materially different from that required for the baseline AC unit (1.5TR mini-split unit for this competition). The Technical Review Committee after assessing the modification or upgrade requirement of the cooling solution may allow it at their sole discretion. 

During testing, is the use of wastewater allowed for operating the cooling technology?

No, use of waste water is not allowed as part of the testing protocol of the competition. The apartments or lab selected for testing will remain unoccupied during testing and will not generate wastewater that could be provided for utilization of the cooling solution. Through the testing phase, the total water consumption of a cooling technology will be assessed and provided to the Technical Review Committee as part of the data set that they will utilize for the adjudication process.  

Can the existing plumbing line of the residence with pressurized water supply be used for providing the water supply to the cooling technology?

Yes, use of the existing plumbing line for providing the water supply to the cooling technology will be allowed as long as no major upgrades or modifications are proposed to the existing plumbing network of the apartment building. 

During field testing, how will the Global Cooling Prize team tackle any situation of failure of a component or sub-component of the cooling solution?

If during field testing, the Global Cooling Prize team identifies that any component or sub-component has undergone a failure resulting in a complete breakdown or material underperformance of the cooling solution, the same will be communicated to the participant  and given an opportunity to either replace or perform necessary repairs to their unit at their sole discretion and cost. 

  • The participants will be allowed up to a maximum of three on site replacements or repair opportunities  per prototype during the field test period. Each repair opportunity will be for a duration of up to 5 days following notification, and failure to do so within the 5 day window will count as one lost opportunity. If the participant ends up taking 15 day from notification  to repair the unit, this will be counted as all three opportunities lost. 

 

  • Once the 15 day window for onsite repairs has expired, and if the failure has not been addressed OR the component or any sub-component fails again, the Global Cooling Prize team will evaluate the feasibility of any further attempts to assess full operational performance of the prototype.  

 

  • Where in the sole judgement of the prize administrators it is not possible to further evaluate the operational performance of the prototype but the prototype had been successfully tested for a period of at least 72 hours continuous operation the Global Cooling Prize team will provide the Technical Review Committee with the performance analysis for the successful test days along with a brief write-up on possible cause and extent of failure. The Technical Review Committee will take the final decision on allowing the participant to continue to compete in the prize. 

During lab-simulated year round performance testing, how will the Global Cooling Prize team tackle any situation of failure of a component or sub-component of the cooling solution?

If during lab-simulated year round performance testing, the Global Cooling Prize team identifies that any component or sub-component has undergone a failure resulting in a complete breakdown or material underperformance of the cooling solution, the same will be communicated to the participant and given an opportunity to either replace or perform necessary repairs to their unit at their sole discretion and cost. 

  • Each participant will be provided with 30 days advance notice the dates over which their prototype will undergo testing. 

 

  • The participants will be allowed up to a maximum of three on site replacements or repair opportunities  per prototype. Each repair opportunity will be for a duration of up to 24 hours  following notification, and failure to do so within the 24 hour window will count as one lost opportunity. If the participant ends up taking 72 hours from notification to repair the unit, this will be counted as all three opportunities lost. 

 

  • Once the 72 hour window for onsite repairs has expired, and if the failure has not been addressed OR the component or any sub-component fails again, the Global Cooling Prize team will evaluate the feasibility of any further attempts to assess full operational performance of the prototype. 

 

  • Where in the sole judgement of the prize administrators  it is not possible to further evaluate the operational performance of the prototype but the prototype had been successfully tested for a cumulative period of three full days (72 hours) the Global Cooling Prize team will provide the Technical Review Committee with the performance analysis for the successful test days with a brief write-up on possible cause and extent of failure. The Technical Review Committee will take the final decision on allowing the participant to continue to compete in the prize. 

How will I ensure that my prototype is properly installed and commissioned during testing?

During the lab and real-world test, we encourage representatives from each of the selected finalists to support the Global Cooling Prize testing team in installation of their technology. The role of the representatives is to ensure that their technology is properly installed during the testing phase. Post commissioning, however, any involvement in the operation or maintenance of the prototype will not be allowed for the entire duration of the test period.

During testing of the prototypes, will derating of the cooling solution over its lifetime be assessed?

No. The Global Cooling Prize is focused on the initial performance of the prototype units i.e. for the duration of the testing period and will not consider derating of the equipment over its life in their assessment for this competition.

Will the travel costs of the participants be reimbursed by the Global Cooling Prize organizers?

No, the selected finalists have to use a portion of the interim prize money of US $200,000 to fund the travel and support any other cost of their representatives during the testing stage.

Intellectual Property

How is intellectual property treated during the Global Cooling Prize?

Participants in the Global Cooling Prize (GCP) will be developing novel inventions or designs that may constitute IP that should be appropriately protected. The GCP’s approach to IP is as follows: 

  • All participants entering the prize will do so at their risk and will be solely responsible for ensuring that they have taken appropriate steps to protect any IP that forms part of their application. 
  • Participants are responsible for ensuring the information they submit does not infringe on any third party IP rights. Further, if the participants are part of an organization that through its contracts of employment has IP ownership provisions for the designs developed by its employees, it is the sole responsibility of the participants to ensure that their participation in the Prize does not infringe on the IP rights of their organization. 
  • All participants are encouraged to review their applications with a patent attorney and submit provisional applications where appropriate. 
  • Participants should be aware that their applications for the GCP containing technical details of their innovations would likely constitute a public disclosure of their invention/design, and could vitiate their ability to subsequently secure patent/design rights. It is, therefore, imperative that participants understand the risks and take all necessary steps to prevent any adverse impact of their submissions to the GCP. 
  • All individuals serving on the committees and councils and all third parties that have access to GCP technical participant applications and plans will be required to sign/execute confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements when accepting their role with the requisite committee or council. 
  • The Prize Organizers do not make any representation or warranty regarding the treatment or confidentiality of any submissions received and disclaim all responsibility for the protection of participant IP, or any consequences resulting from participant submissions. 
  • The Prize Organizers will not provide IP advice directly to participants but will provide access to an India patent attorney during the launch event and one webinar in 2019. Any additional support required would need to be separately procured by the participants. 
  • Participants selected for interim awards and subsequent prototype testing that have not secured the protection provided by a provisional patent application or granted patent will also be required to sign waiver agreements absolving the Prize Organizers from liability due to the increased exposure of technology through the real world testing process. 
  • If you would like more information on Intellectual Property, read this document and/or watch this video.

What support will finalists be given to file their patent in India?

The finalists will receive a one time confidential one-on-one phone consultation with an Indian IP lawyer for a maximum of 60 minutes. Like all other participants, the finalists are solely responsible for the protection of their IP and are strongly encouraged to seek independent legal advice on potential issues relating to their submissions.