Daikin to Create 'Ice Cool Spot' at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan

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OSAKA, Japan, August 30, 2024 - Daikin Industries, Ltd. will set up an "Ice Cool Spot," a rest area equipped with an air conditioning system using natural energy^*1, at the 2025 World Expo being held in Japan (officially titled Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan) as a relief measure against the summer heat.

Because the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan will be open primarily in the summer, establishing measures at the venue to contend with the heat is a major concern. As a leading HVAC&R manufacturer, Daikin has been developing a sustainable air conditioning system that is environmentally conscious and utilizes natural energy to bring cool conditions and comfort to visitors from around the world.

Ice Cool Spot was inspired by historical icehouses where ice and snow were stored for use as a cold storage facility. For this building, ice is generated by ice thermal storage air conditioning^*2 technology to provide radiant cooling^*3 comparable to the coolness experienced under the shade of a tree. Environmentally conscious measures, such as using electricity generated by solar power, will be incorporated to produce the ice. The walls adopt a traditional Japanese wood lattice for an open structure that gives visitors a sense of being outdoors, while the roof is equipped with highly aesthetic solar panels in a design that harmonizes with nature.

Ice Cool Spot will be built in the Progress Plaza, which is located to the southwest of the Expo Hall, and visitors will be able to use it anytime during the Expo.

As a company committed to "Perfecting the Air," Daikin aims to provide Expo visitors with the opportunity to experience the potential and value of air. Through its participation in the Expo, a People's Living Lab; A laboratory for a future society, Daikin has been taking on the challenge of developing an air conditioning system for the future utilizing natural energy sources such as solar power and the radiant cooling of ice.

[Summary of Ice Cool Spot]

An Air Conditioning System Utilizing Natural Energy

Ice Cool Spot employs an environmentally conscious air conditioning system that combines the ice thermal storage technology that Daikin has cultivated in its air conditioners with solar power generation. Radiant cooling is obtained from the surrounding ice panels installed inside Ice Cool Spot. Maintaining a surface temperature of 3-8℃, the ice panels deliver a cool sensation of comfort that feels like being inside an actual icehouse. Made of transparent acrylic material, the surface of the ice panels enables visitors to see the ice walls up close to gain a visual sense of the cooling effect.

Part of the electricity used by Ice Cool Spot will be produced by its solar panels. The electricity generated during the day is stored in a battery to make ice at night when the temperature is cooler.

Structure and Design Harmonize with Nature

Benches placed inside Ice Cool Sport Spot allow seating for around 30 people, and the high, sloping ceiling of 3.3 to 3.7 meters and the extensive use of wood create a relaxing interior space. Traditional Japanese wood lattice is used for the interior and exterior walls for an open structure with no boundaries between indoors and outdoors. Equipped with green solar panels, the roof blends in with the surrounding trees for a design that beautifully harmonizes with nature when seen from above and serves as a symbol of the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.

Location of Ice Cool Spot

Ice Cool Spot will be installed in the "Progress Plaza," which is located in the southwest of the Expo site and will be available for use anytime during the Expo.

[Construction Summary of Ice Cool Spot]

*1Term used to describe energy obtained from natural phenomena such as the sun, geothermal heat, wind, and tidal current.*2A heat storage air conditioning system that uses ice in air conditioners generated by electricity at night.*3Phenomenon in which heat transfer occurs from a high-temperature object (person) to a low-temp-erature object (ice) via infrared rays and can be experienced when a person loses heat and feels cool.

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