Daikin Industries, Ltd. will unveil a rest area equipped with an air conditioning system that utilizes natural energy* during the 2025 World Expo in Osaka-Kansai. This 'Ice Cool Spot' aims to combat the summer heat, providing visitors with a cool and relaxing environment.
Given the Expo's focus on the summer period, effective heat measures are crucial. As a comprehensive air conditioning manufacturer, Daikin has been developing a sustainable air conditioning system using environmentally friendly natural energy to deliver comfort and relief to visitors from around the globe.
Inspired by traditional ice storage rooms known as "himuro," which have been used for storing ice and snow, the Ice Cool Spot will offer a cooling sensation similar to that felt under the shade of trees through ice phase-change technology**. Solar panels will partially power the ice generation, integrating an eco-friendly mechanism. The structure will feature traditional Japanese wooden latticework and an open-air design, allowing visitors to feel as if they are outdoors. The roof will be equipped with aesthetically pleasing solar panels, harmonizing with nature.
The Ice Cool Spot will be located in "Progress Square" in the southwestern part of the Expo site and will be accessible to visitors throughout the exhibition period.
As a company that "solves problems with air," Daikin aims to demonstrate the potential and value of air at the Osaka-Kansai Expo. The Expo, envisioned as a laboratory for future societies, will be a platform for Daikin to challenge the development of air conditioning systems utilizing natural energy sources like solar power and ice.
Overview of the Ice Cool Spot:
Eco-Friendly Air Conditioning System
The Ice Cool Spot incorporates Daikin's experience in ice phase-change technology combined with solar power generation to create an environmentally friendly air conditioning system. Ice panels surrounding the interior provide cooling radiation. By maintaining the surface temperature of the ice panels between 3-8°C, visitors will enjoy a comfortable coolness similar to being inside a himuro. Transparent acrylic material on the ice panels allows for a visual cooling effect.
Solar panels generate electricity during the day, which is stored in batteries and used to create ice during the cool nighttime hours.
Harmonized Design with Nature
Inside the Ice Cool Spot, benches accommodating about 30 people will be installed. A high ceiling with a gradient height of 3.3-3.7 meters, along with extensive use of wood in the interior, creates a relaxing space. The use of traditional Japanese wooden latticework on both the interior and exterior walls provides an open structure that blurs the line between indoor and outdoor spaces. The roof's green solar panels, in harmony with the surrounding trees, will contribute to the Expo's iconic roofscape.
Location of the Ice Cool Spot
The Ice Cool Spot will be located in "Progress Square" in the southwestern part of the Expo site and will be available for use throughout the Expo period.
*Natural Energy: Energy derived from eco-friendly sources like solar power.
**Ice Phase-Change Technology: Utilizes the cooling effect of ice as it melts.
