American physicist Arthur Rosenfeld has won the second Tang Prize in sustainable development.
Rosenfeld, called “the godfather of energy efficiency”, was selected for the prize from a pool of 100 candidates. The Tang Prize Foundation, which awards the prize, chose him for his lifetime of pioneering innovations in energy efficiency, which have greatly reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
Over his career, the 90-year-old Rosenfeld has made contributions to projects including low-emissivity ‘smart’ windows and “cool roofs”. But the Tang Prize Foundation says it also selected Rosenfeld because of his contributions to energy policy.
Since the 1970’s, he has helped strengthen energy efficiency standards in the US for household appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners. He has also helped to integrate energy efficiency into building codes.
A 2001 study by the US National Academy of Sciences found that Rosenfeld’s work on the technology and policy fronts will have cut global CO2 emissions by seven billion tons and saved the world US$1.8 trillion in energy expenditures by the year 2030.
The biennial Tang Prize recognizes exceptional contributions in the areas of sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, Sinology, and rule of law. It was established by Taiwanese entrepreneur Samuel Yin in 2012, and was first awarded in 2014.