We are searching for topics and funders for the next Longitude Prize. This idea is a draft for discussion about one possible prize focus that we are exploring.
What is the problem? Urban cooling is overwhelmingly reliant on individual units using refrigerants with high GWP, creating a vicious cycle where cooling demand accelerates the very warming it tries to address. Existing district cooling systems require enormous municipal buy-in and prohibitive upfront infrastructure costs, making them inaccessible for most cities, particularly in emerging markets. Why does the solution contribute to solving this? Centralising cooling at the district level achieves efficiency impossible for standalone units, shifting the burden from individual to city infrastructure and providing a blueprint for municipalities to move district cooling from a luxury to a standard utility that stabilises the power grid and restores the urban microclimate. Who is the prize awarded to? Awarded to the team that successfully designs a zero-carbon, modular district cooling system at neighbourhood scale, eliminating refrigerants that contribute to global warming, incorporating circularity through productive reuse of waste heat, and demonstrating a viable path to retrofitting into dense city fabric without prohibitive infrastructure costs. Check out the other ideas
The best prize ideas are developed through extensive research and engagement with experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience of the problems they are focused on. We start with a first draft like the one above – then work to improve, refine and validate our thinking. If you are interested in sharing your expertise, or helping us secure funding for the next Longitude Prize, please reach out.