ATLANTA, United States, 10 April 2024: ASHRAE said it is now accepting entries for the 2024 Lower-GWP Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Innovation Award. Making the announcement through a Press release, ASHRAE said the Award, organised by ASHRAE and UNEP OzonAction, aims to encourage the implementation of projects in developing countries that are shown to minimise global warming through refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) management.

ASHRAE said the world is becoming increasingly dependent upon refrigeration and air conditioning to keep growing populations safe and comfortable and to provide the environmental conditions and expanding needs in agriculture, healthcare, and data transmission. ASHRAE also said that the International Energy Agency estimates that air conditioning and ventilation alone account for 20% of global electricity use. With this backdrop in mind, ASHRAE said, a transition to lower global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants is necessary to reduce the impact of greenhouse gases on the environment.

ASHRAE said the Lower-GWP Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Innovation Award promotes inventive design and practice by recognising the implementation of new technological concepts in developing countries to minimise the global warming potential (GWP) of refrigerants. According to ASHRAE, awards will be presented to individuals working alone or in teams in two categories: 

• Residential Applications
• Commercial/Industrial Facility

According to ASHRAE, projects will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Innovative aspects in transforming conventional concepts (40%);
• Technical replicability to developing countries (25%);
• Extent of need (25%); and
• Economic feasibility to developing countries, including energy efficiency (10%).

ASHRAE said entries for 2024 awards will be accepted until August 15, 2024, and that there is no cost to enter. ASHRAE also said that the individuals named in the selected project submissions will be recognised at UNEP and ASHRAE events and publications, and added that ASHRAE membership is not a requirement for submission.

To submit entries for the 2024 Lower-GWP Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Innovation Award, visitashrae.org/unep-gwp.