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United States: Air conditioners with evaporative cooling and liquid desiccant dehumidification were among the winners of a $195,000 competition organized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Zephyr Innovations Inc of Somerville, Massachusetts, was awarded $50,000 as the grand prize winner of the Cooling Solutions Challenge Award competition to find breakthrough solutions to protect the public from extreme heat.
The challenge seeks innovative ideas to help first responders, individuals, families or displaced persons stay cool during extreme heat events, which are becoming more common in the United States with increasing frequency, intensity and duration.
Zephyr’s vapor-compression air-conditioning alternative uses evaporative cooling combined with a new high-efficiency liquid desiccant dehumidification system to reduce energy consumption by 50 percent, it said. Cooling solutions scored the highest on all judging criteria.
The runner-up was Morrisville, North Carolina-based Small World Sciences, which won $25,000 for its heat-reflecting cooling textiles that mimic the behavior of animals that have evolved to survive extreme desert conditions.
Other winners include Gainesville, Florida-based Micro Nano Technologies for its membrane-based absorption cooling technology.
“Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the country, often hitting underserved communities hardest,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “That’s why we must bring together and empower bright minds with bold ideas to solve one of our nation’s most dangerous and complex climate challenges.”
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