SPACECOOL INC. (SPACECOOL), Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (Osaka Gas), NTN Corporation (NTN), KANBO PRAS CORPORATION (KANBO PRAS), Seiritsu Industry Co., Ltd. (Seiritsu Industry), and Takenaka Corporation (TAKENAKA) have been selected for joint participation in the “demonstration tests in Yumeshima” held by the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with Osaka Gas as the representative corporation. On August 26, we began a demonstration test to evaluate the energy efficiency, comfort, and other benefits of the SPACECOOL® radiative sky cooling material at locations including the Yumeshima Expo venue.

This radiative sky cooling material dissipates heat into space in direct sunlight, enabling it to lower its temperature*¹ more than the ambient temperature without using energy. In a demonstration test conducted by the material’s developer Osaka Gas, the surface temperature of the material was confirmed to be up to approximately 6°C*³ lower than the ambient temperature in direct sunlight. This level of radiative cooling performance is among the highest in the world*⁴, and its utilization as a commercial material can be expected to combat global warming and provide energy efficiency and cooling comfort.

Moreover, two product varieties, film and canvas, have already been developed using this material. And SPACECOOL will begin manufacture and sales with financial backing from Osaka Gas.

Through collaboration with each company, we aim to use these demonstrations to verify and evaluate the effectiveness of the material with regard to energy efficiency and comfort, in environments similar to actual use.

Osaka Gas will apply SPACECOOL to the exterior of 2-ton trucks to verify its effectiveness in curtailing temperature rise inside the cargo area.

NTN will apply this material to the exterior of its independent mobile power supply, and verify its effectiveness in conserving the energy used to maintain the temperature inside the unit by curtailing temperature rise.

KANBO PRAS will use a tent fabric that incorporates SPACECOOL to manufacture and install test tents, and evaluate the temperature and comfort inside compared to regular tents.

Seiritsu Industry and TAKENAKA will verify the effectiveness of this material to curb internal temperature rise in Electrical Service Panels when applied to their exterior.

These demonstration tests will be conducted from August 2021 until the end of March 2022 at the latest. The truck demonstration will take place at the Yumeshima Expo site, while the NTN demonstration will take place at the company’s Advanced Technology R&D Center in Kuwana, Mie. The other demonstrations will be held at the Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. Energy Technology Laboratories in Osaka’s Konohana Ward.

These six companies will use the knowledge gained through these demonstration tests to contribute to the realization of comfortable spaces and the decarbonization of society as a whole.

*1: Achieved through material design that utilizes Osaka Gas’s proprietary optical control technology to suppress heat input from sunlight, and increase heat dissipation due to thermal radiation*².

*2: A phenomenon by which heat is carried away from heated objects as electromagnetic waves (light)

*3: Measured at Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. Energy Technology Laboratories in Osaka’s Konohana Ward (Ambient temperature at time of measurement: Approx. 35°C)

*4: Based on research conducted by Osaka Gas and SPACECOOL using published research papers

SPACECOOL® is a new radiative sky cooling material (Fig. 1) distinct for the fact that its temperature can drop below that of the surrounding air, even in direct sunlight, by dissipating heat into space (radiative sky cooling)

We have already developed two types of products: film and canvas (Fig. 2-1 and 2-2)

This material is applied as a film to the exterior (top and sides) of the cargo area of 2-ton trucks.

The demonstration is scheduled to run until the end of October 2021.

This material is applied as a film to the exterior (sides) of the NTN independent mobile power supply (N3 N-cube).

The demonstration is scheduled to run until the end of September 2021.

This material is used in canvas form to manufacture and install test tents.

The demonstration is scheduled to run until the end of March 2022.

This material is applied as a film to the exterior (top and sides) of electrical service panels.

The demonstration is scheduled to run until the end of December 2021.

Inquire about this project

SPACECOOL INC.

https://www.spacecool.jp/en/contact/