As global temperatures rise and the impacts of climate change intensify, access to sustainable cooling products has never been more critical, particularly for vulnerable and energy-underserved communities. Sustainable cooling solutions not only improve quality of life for these communities, but also play a vital role in supporting small businesses and uplifting standards of living. Access to cooling is critical in reducing food waste and strengthens health services by enabling the safe storage of vaccines, medication, and blood. Access to cooling can also contribute significantly to productive use and income generation for a wide range of existing and potential end-users.
Despite the vast potential market for cooling technologies—both for productive applications and space cooling—adoption remains low in off-grid and weak-grid areas. Recent reports highlight a significant gap between the current sales of cooling products and their estimated potential serviceable market. Although these technologies offer many advantages, their adoption is hindered by barriers related to affordability, reliability, and accessibility. Upfront cost is the most significant barrier to uptake because sustainable cooling technologies are often expensive, particularly for communities in offgrid areas, where income levels are lower and access to financing is difficult.
However, innovation in technologies and business models is reshaping the market, making sustainable cooling solutions more affordable and reliable. Companies supported by the Energy Catalyst are helping to drive this transformation, spearheading projects that address key barriers and challenges to unlock new opportunities. This report highlights the following groundbreaking projects:
- Cooling as a Service by Oxford University allows small enterprises and communities to access cooling solutions without upfront costs. Users pay a subscription fee that covers installation, maintenance, and energy, making sustainable cooling more accessible.
- Inclusive Energy’s use of Cloud Solar charge controllers with real-time monitoring showcases how data can optimise energy consumption and improve system efficiency while its pay-as-you-go model integrates carbon financing to enable more affordable cooling.
- PyroGenesys’ technology utilises a pyrolysis plant using locally available waste sources, such as rice straw and husks, to produce electricity for cooling and biochar for fertiliser use, allowing for additional revenue streams alongside the provision of cooling to keep costs low.
- Portable cooling pods by Hubl Logistics use phase change materials (PCM) to provide efficient cooling for perishable goods, showcasing sustainable cooling’s role in enhancing productivity in agriculture and logistics.
- Innovative mobile solar-powered cooling systems developed by Akreon improve healthcare delivery in remote areas with affordable and reliable vaccine storage moving to health centres when it is needed.
- SureChill’s ice storage keeps stable temperatures for health and agricultural products, while its innovative energy harvesting controller allows surplus energy to be used for other uses, so supporting energy access.
These innovations have enormous potential to enable local farmers and other businesses to increase productivity, create jobs, and drive economic development. By making sustainable cooling more accessible and affordable, these technologies offer a promising pathway to addressing climate challenges while supporting the requirements of several key sectors across off- and weak-grid areas.
Excerpt of: Learning from innovative businesses in the sustainable cooling sector (Energy Catalyst 2025)