GLOBAL LEAP OUTSTANDING OFF-GRID PRODUCT AWARDS

2013 Off-Grid Color Television Competition

Competition Overview

Introduction
The Global Lighting and Energy Access Partnership (Global LEAP) Outstanding Off-Grid Product Awards
competition (Competition) seeks to transform the global market for off-grid energy products by
recognizing and rewarding the most energy-efficient, highest quality appliances. As an initiative of the
Clean Energy Ministerial, Global LEAP seeks to advance global climate and energy access goals by
harnessing the power of marketplace competition to drive technical and market innovations in the offgrid appliance sector.
The second round of Global LEAP Outstanding Off-Grid Product Awards will recognize cost-effective,
energy-efficient color televisions for use with off-grid energy systems.
Color televisions are in high demand in under- and un-electrified parts of the developing world, and
cost-effective televisions often inspire households and businesses to purchase small energy systems to
power themthese energy systems deliver significant energy access, environmental and socioeconomic
development benefits. Energy-efficient televisions optimize those benefits by extending run times and
leaving more electricity for other uses; energy-efficient televisions also require smaller power systems,
which more people can afford.
The Collaborative Labeling and Appliances Standards Program (CLASP) is serving as the Awards
Operating Agent and Administrator for the Competition.
Terms and conditions apply. See Official Rules for details.

Awards Eligibility Requirements

Products eligible for the second round of Global LEAP Outstanding Off-Grid Product Awards must:

Be compatible with off-grid low voltage (e.g. 12V) DC power systemsi; and
Be a commercially available flat panel color televisionii (TV) or flat panel color TV combination
unitiii (collectively TVs)iv; or
Be a prototype of an eligible TV that will be commercially available within two (2) years of the
end of the Competition; and

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Fall into one of the following five (5) categories

1. Very Small TVs with a viewable screen size 200 cm2 or greater but less than 390 cm2; or
2. Small TVs with a viewable screen size 390 cm2 or greater but less than 700 cm2; or
3. Medium TVs with a viewable screen size 700 cm2 or greater but less than 1400 cm2; or
4. Large TVs with a viewable screen size of 1400 cm2 or greater; or
5. Prototype TVs of any size that will be commercially available within two (2) years of the
end of the Competition period; and
Table 1: Size Categories for Commercially Available TV Products

Viewable Screen Area

Nominal Diagonal
Screen Size1

Very Small
Category
200 cm2 x <
390 cm2

Small Category

Medium Category

Large Category

390 cm2 x < 700

cm2

700 cm2 x < 1400

cm2

1400 cm2 < x

8.5 < x < 12

12 < x < 16

16 < x < 22.5

22.5 < x

Be available for sale, either retail or wholesale, separately from a power system, if commercially
available; and
Be available for warehouse sampling by 7 February 2014, if commercially available.

Eligible products, if commercially available, must either

Include an On/Off switch AND adequate instruction as to its use AND have a standby mode
power consumption not exceeding 0.5W when measured at 12V DC;
OR

Not include an On/Off switch AND have a standby mode power consumption not exceeding
0.1W when measured at 12V DC.

Eligible products, if commercially available, must also:

Receive NTSC and PAL signals at and above -50 dBm; and
Be sold with an analog or analog/digital tuner; and
Pass relevant environmental performance tests; and
Not exceed RoHS specifications for the following six (6) toxic substances: Lead (Pb); Mercury
(Hg); Cadmium (Cd); Hexavalent Chromium (Cr Vl); Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB);
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE).

Nominal diagonal screen size is based on a 16:9 aspect ratio, is approximate, and is included for illustrative
purposes only. Program categories are based on viewable screen size.

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Competition Procedures
1. Nomination
Manufacturers that wish to nominate eligible televisions (Products) for the Competition should do
so using the online Nomination Tool. Nomination is free.
Entries may be submitted by Product manufacturers or associated distributors. In the case of
nominations from distributors, a supporting letter from the manufacturer that confirms their
support for the Products nomination must be included with the submitted materials.
Submit the entry form and supporting materials electronically online or by emailing it to
GlobalLEAP@clasponline.org by 17 January 2014 (early applications are strongly encouraged).
Manufacturers unable to submit the form online should contact the Administrator for an offline
version. The Administrator can be contacted via email at GlobalLEAP@clasponline.org, or via fax at
+1 (202) 662-7485, or via post at:
Global LEAP Awards
c/o CLASP
2021 L Street NW, Suite 502
Washington, DC 20036
United States of America
The deadline for receipt of Competition nominations is 23:59:59 EST 17 January 2014. Early
submissions are strongly encouraged. Manufacturers may submit multiple products or models,
completing the nomination process for each product or model.
Conditions of Entry

Materials submitted for the awards will not be returned.

Participants in the Global LEAP Outstanding Off-Grid Product Awards may be included in
Global LEAPs contact databases and may receive information on Global LEAPs
activities.
Global LEAP and the Clean Energy Ministerial may use the winning products for public
information purposes and to promote the Awards on their respective web sites,
brochures, and in events.
The Awards selection committees decisions regarding award recipients are final.
The Administrator reserves the right to adjust, strike, or redefine any of the programs
terms and conditions at any time and for any reason. An explanation of any adjustments
may be provided to nominees, as appropriate.
Should no nominated Product in a given Competition category be appropriate for offgrid populations, the Administrator reserves the right to not name a Winner in that
category.

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2.

Pre-Screening & Notification

A panel of expert judges will pre-screen nominations and select up to five (5) Finalists for each
category of the Competition. This review will be based upon Product data as provided in the in the
nomination.
The Administrator will notify manufacturers if their nominations have been selected as Finalists by email
on or before 7 February 2014.
3.

Verification Testing

Upon receipt of Finalist notification, manufacturers must make available two (2) nominated Products,
which will be selected through warehouse sampling. The cost of warehouse sampling and shipping
samples for testing will be borne by the manufacturer. Samples will be identified and packaged by the
Administrators sampling agent, who will then deliver them to the Finalists shipping agent. Warehouse
sampling must be completed and samples must be received by the Administrator by 10 March 2014.
A fee of $2350 USD, which will cover the cost of testing, must be paid by the manufacturer to the
Administrator for each Product named a Finalist. An invoice of total fees due will be emailed along with
the Finalist notice. All payments must be received by 21 February 2014.
Finalists must be willing and able to attend the Awards ceremony.
4.

Evaluation Criteria

Finalist Products will be evaluated based on a combination of quantitative performance factors and
qualitative usability, design, and impact factors as follows:

Quantitative Factors
o Power Consumption
o Total Cost
Qualitative Factors
o Environmental Performance
o Design and Usability
o Picture Quality
o Innovative Features/Functions
o Warranty

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5.

Winner Selection Process

Finalists will be awarded up to 100 points by means of two parallel assessments.

A. Laboratory Testing: Testing of Products on mode, off mode, and standby mode energy
performance factors will proceed according to IEC 62087 ed3.0 and IEC 62301 ed2.0, which are
energy performance tests in a laboratory setting. Products will also be tested for their
performance after exposure to extreme temperature and humidity according to IEC 60068-2-78.
B. Expert Assessment: A panel of expert judges will evaluate design and usability factors (options
and functionality, look and feel of product, packaging and instructions), and picture quality.v
In the commercially available product categories, Winners will be identified in the following way: Up to
70 points will be awarded based on a formulaic assessment of total cost of product, which is based on
Laboratory Testing results of power consumption (on mode and standby) and standardized Global LEAP
Awards assumptions about retail price, $/kWh, product lifetime, and daily usage. Up to 30 points will be
awarded based on the Expert Assessment.
The Winner in the prototype category will be identified by the expert judges, who will consider powerto-viewable screen size and other factors relevant to off-grid households and markets.
The Product with the highest score in each category is the Winner in that category.
Product-specific test results will be delivered to that Products manufacturer a confidential basis. Test
results may be used anonymously and/or in aggregate by Global LEAP for market intelligence reporting.
Manufacturers interested in allowing Global LEAP to make their test results public can notify the
Administrator to grant permission.
For a more complete account of the testing methodology, please see the Official Rules.
6.

Benefits to Winners

Winners will be announced in May 2014. The winning Products will be recognized during a ceremony at
the 5th Clean Energy Ministerial in Seoul, South Korea, which will involve high-level government officials,
industry, and press. The manufacturers of winning Products will receive the right to use a Global LEAP
Awards logo and phrase in marketing materials for the Product. Additionally, a Global LEAP-sponsored
communications campaign will be launched in conjunction with the awards to publicize the Winners and
raise consumer awareness about off-grid appliances. An aspect of this campaign will be a Global LEAP
Awards procurement guide, which will be distributed to Global LEAP and Clean Energy Ministerial
partners and other bulk purchasers, and in which Winners and high-performing Finalists will be
highlighted.

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7.

Global LEAP Outstanding Off-Grid Product Awards Television Competition Timeline

Stage

Awards Nominations

Awards Pre-Screening

Testing & Verification of Awards

Finalists (Commercially Available
Categories)

Item
Nominations Open

8.

18 April 2013

Product Nominations Due

by 17 January 2014

Finalists Selected by Expert Panel

by 7 February 2014

Finalists Manufacturers Notified

by 7 February 2014

Invoice for Testing Costs to

Finalists Manufacturers

by 7 February 2014

Finalists Available for Warehouse

Sampling of Two (2) Products

by 7 February 2014

Testing Costs Payment Due

by 21 February 2014

Warehouse Sampling Complete,

and Samples Received by Awards

by 10 March 2014

Testing Begins

by 17 March 2014

Testing Ends & Winners

Identified
Awards Ceremony and
Promotions

Due Date and/or Timeline

Winners and Finalists Named

and Recognized at High-Profile
Awards Gala

by approx. 28 March 2014

May 2014

Awards Program Contact

For general inquiries contact Global LEAP: GlobalLEAP@hq.doe.gov

For specific inquiries about the Global LEAP Awards contact CLASP: GlobalLEAP@clasponline.org
i

Eligible products should have a nominal working voltage between 3 and 20 volts, and should be designed to
function safely and effectively within the voltage swings that are common in solar-charged, battery-based DC
power systems. The Global LEAP Awards anticipates that most products will be designed for a nominal 12V DC
application.
For the purposes of the Competition, power system means a battery either charged in the home (by a Solar
Home System or similar system) or charged elsewhere and returned to the home, such as a lead acid battery.
ii

A commercially available electronic product designed primarily for the reception and display of audiovisual
signals received from terrestrial, cable, satellite, Internet Protocol TV (IPTV), or other digital or analog sources. A
TV consists of a tuner/receiver and a display encased in a single enclosure. Liquid crystal display (LCD) and plasma
display panel (PDP) are examples of common display technologies. (Source: ENERGY STAR)
iii

A television product in which the TV and one or more additional devices (e.g., DVD player, Blu-ray Disc player,
Hard Disk Drive) are combined into a single enclosure and which meets all of the following criteria: a) it is not

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possible to measure the power of the individual components without removing the product housing; and b) the
product connects to a [power source] via a single power cord. (Source: ENERGY STAR)
iv

Otherwise eligible flat panel monitors/displays that are sold with an integrated audiovisual signal tuner are also
eligible, but only if they are eligible for ENERGY STAR TVs version 6.0.
v

A Finalist will earn up to four (4) points extra credit if (i.) the Finalist comes with a warranty, (ii.) the Nominee is
able to provide a copy of the warranty in English and (iii.) the Nominee is able to provide a brief written
explanation, in English, of how the warranty is serviced in two (2) of the following six (6) countries: Bangladesh,
India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda.

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