JAPAN: Daikin will take inspiration from traditional glaciers to use sustainable air conditioning systems to keep things cool at next year’s World Expo in Osaka, Japan.
The Japanese air conditioner and heat pump maker will create an ice cold spot to combat the summer heat during the World Expo from April 13 to October 13, 2025.
The idea for the Ice Cool Spot was modeled after traditional glaciers that were used to store ice throughout the year before the invention of the refrigerator.
The Daikin Ice Cool Spot will use an air conditioning system that combines the ice heat storage technology Daikin has developed for its air conditioners with solar energy generation.
Cooling will be carried out by radiation from ice panels surrounding the interior of the structure. The surface temperature of the ice panels, made of transparent acrylic material, will be maintained at 3ºC-8°C.
The icy cool location uses some of the electricity generated by the solar panels. Electricity generated during the day is stored in a battery, and ice is produced at night when it is cooler.
Traditional Japanese wood latticework is used for the walls, creating an open structure that gives the feeling of being outdoors. The green solar panels installed on the roof are designed to blend in with nature.
The Ice Cool Spot will be installed in the Progress Square area, located southwest of the Expo site. Expo visitors will be able to use the 70 m2 structure during the Expo, with benches inside which can accommodate approximately 30 people at a time.
https://www.coolingpost.com/features/daikin-to-create-icehouse-for-world-expo/