The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol and UNDP is promoting the concept of District Cooling as a mean to reduce the use of high GWP refrigerants as well as promoting the use of more energy efficient systems in the AC sector. Feasibility studies to develop a business model for district cooling in several countries has already been approved, and Costa Rica is also since 2017 exploring the potential of district cooling. Costa Rica has an ambition to implement energy efficiency standards necessary to support renewable energy and energy efficient technologies and to reduce the government´s fuel subsidy liability over time.

Since 2017 DEVCCO explore the potential to further promote the use of District Cooling in Costa Rica. The aim is to identify the potential barriers for the introduction of District Cooling and propose a way forward to overcome these barriers. The expected result is to provide inputs to UNDP for the development of a component on District Cooling in the context of a larger UNDP project in Costa Rica. A number of potential district cooling pilot projects have been identified by DEVCCO including the international airport. The next step will continue with technical and financial development of the pilot projects.