Million Cool Roofs Challenge

Deadline: 2019-05-20
Award: $2,000,000
Open to: Entrants from developing countries*

The Challenge aims to demonstrate clean, effective and affordable cooling solutions, spurring the market for cost-effective passive cooling. This will improve sustainable access to cooling where there is the greatest need, and reduce the climate impact of cooling over time.

By minimizing the amount of heat generated by solar energy absorbed by buildings, reflective building surfaces reduce the demand for cooling energy for those that can afford it while also providing a sustainable passive cooling solution for the billions of people who do not have the economic means to access mechanical cooling options, in rural poor, urban slums or homeless shelters.

Reflective roof surfaces not only have an impact on individual buildings, but deploying them across a whole community can have a net effect on reducing local ambient temperatures. Further, the deployment of reflective materials creates sustainable job and skills opportunities for low skilled workers in both rural and urban contexts.