Encouraging entrepreneurs, manufacturers, engineers, students, and all passionate problem-solvers to apply.
Global LEAP Off-Grid Refrigeration Competition: Through a partnership with the Department of Energy and Global LEAP Awards, this $300,000 competition aims to increase the availability of off-grid energy refrigeration solutions.
The Challenge:
Refrigeration holds unique potential to unlock economic and social progress for the 600 million people living off the grid in sub-Saharan Africa. Refrigeration can prolong the nutritional value of food, diversify diets, enable income-generating activities, and reduce the time that households spend shopping or gathering food.
The marketplace for off-grid refrigeration is nascent, and refrigerators have yet to penetrate the off-grid market in sub-Saharan Africa in a significant way. To be viable in the off-grid market, refrigeration solutions must be significantly more efficient and lower cost than conventional products.
The Competition:
To address these early market challenges, the Scaling Off-Grid Energy Grand Challenge for Development will kick off with the Global Lighting and Energy Access Partnership (LEAP) Awards Off-Grid Refrigeration Competition. The Awards seek to catalyze new technological advancements and identify best-in-class commercially available off-grid refrigerators. By inspiring greater participation and innovation in the market, we hope to ultimately provide customers with greater access to affordable refrigeration technology that is compatible with off-grid energy sources. Our vision is to increase the availability of these high-demand products, and in turn increase demand for appropriate solar home systems.
The application window will be open from September 2016 – December 2016.
Have questions on the Off-Grid Refrigeration Competition? Please write to Info {at} GlobalLEAP.org.
We want to hear from you! Please write to us at scalingoffgridenergy {at} usaid.gov