The BASE Foundation has received the 2026 Zayed Sustainability Prize in the Energy category for its Cooling-as-a-Service (CaaS) business model, which enables access to efficient and clean cooling without upfront investment. The model aims to address financial and technical barriers to cooling, particularly in emerging markets, by offering a pay-per-use structure where providers retain system ownership and ensure maintenance.
Selected from more than 7,000 global applicants, the Foundation was recognized for the scalability and market-transforming potential of CaaS. The model supports climate-friendly cooling in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, telecommunications, and small businesses.
According to the Foundation, CaaS initiatives have already reached over 160,000 people, saving more than 130 GWh of electricity and avoiding approximately 81,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. The projects have also contributed to the creation of around 2,500 green jobs, in collaboration with a network of over 80 partner organisations.
In 2022, the BASE Foundation established the Servitisation for Energy Transition (SET) Alliance, a global platform promoting service-based approaches in energy delivery. Within the Alliance, several initiatives are underway:
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Servetia, focused on Switzerland, offers users clean energy systems like heating, lighting, cooling, and solar photovoltaics through service models.
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Your Virtual Cold Chain Assistant, developed with Empa, supports smallholder farmers in Asia and Africa with solar-powered cold rooms and a digital application, Coldtivate, for inventory and shelf-life management.
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Efficiency-as-a-Service, a project piloted in Europe with partners including Agoria and InnoEnergy, provided insights that continue to inform BASE’s servitisation efforts.
Dr. Lamya Fawwaz, Executive Director of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, stated: “BASE Foundation’s Cooling-as-a-Service model is helping communities overcome financial barriers to sustainable cooling while supporting shared prosperity, resilience, and long-term growth.”
Daniel Magallón, Managing Director of BASE Foundation, said: “This Prize is not only a recognition of BASE’s work, but a powerful amplifier of the collective effort behind it. It allows us to build a global movement capable of driving systemic market transformation in sustainable cooling.”
With the USD 1 million Prize fund, the Foundation plans to expand CaaS across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Upcoming activities include technician training, new pilot projects, region-specific toolkits, and the integration of smart energy management systems, with the goal of reaching over 500,000 additional users and deploying 10,000 metric tonnes of efficient cooling capacity.
