SPACECOOL INC. (“SPACECOOL”) and Kanbo Pras Corporation (“Kanbo Pras”) have jointly developed a membrane material (“this Membrane Material”) made of the radiative cooling material SPACECOOL (“the Material”), which is capable of zero-energy cooling. We are pleased to announce that the product will be officially launched on January 24, 2023.

SPACECOOL and Kanbo Pras began the joint development of this Membrane Material in FY2020 and have been verifying its various effects and providing samples of the product. Through the use of these results and the sale of this Membrane Material, we will explore its applications for improving our thermal environment, such as using it in membrane structures, tent warehouses, medical and disaster prevention tents, and truck bed covers, as well as promote alliances with various partner companies, thereby playing a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the product’s zero-energy cooling capabilities, preventing heat stroke, and maintaining the freshness of food products.

Moving forward, SPACECOOL and Kanbo Pras will continue to evolve by developing and providing better products and services in order to work toward the adoption of this Membrane Material at World Expo 2025, which will be held in Osaka, Kansai, and play a role in offering concrete solutions that address social issues such as decarbonization and the improvement of our thermal environment.

The products to be officially launched include one variation in which the Material is affixed to canvas fabric and two variations in which the Material is affixed to tarpaulin fabric (Fig. 1, Table 1).

The two tarpaulin fabric-based products^*1,2 have been certified as fire-retardant products by the Japan Fire Retardant Association. This material can be used for tents, shades, covers, parasols, etc.

Fire-retardant certification numbers: ^*1 FR-03259, ^*2 FR-04296

Membrane structures are required to be built with noncombustible materials and membrane materials certified by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism under the Building Standards Act. We have obtained noncombustible material certification (Certification No.: NM5553) for a product that we are currently developing for use in membrane structures. We intend to obtain Class B membrane material certification for this product in the spring of 2023, and the product will be launched as soon as the certification is obtained (Table 2).

In addition, in anticipation of the launch of this product developed for use in membrane structures, we are currently engaged in proposal activities aimed at its adoption for pavilions set up at World Expo 2025, which will be held in Osaka, Kansai.

Comparative verification testing of tents made with SPACECOOL, regular tents, and heat-shielding tents manufactured by other companies was conducted at the Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. Energy Technology Laboratories in Konohana-ku, Osaka. The results found a temperature difference of approximately 10°C in both the ceiling temperature and the perceived temperature inside the tent between tents made with SPACECOOL and regular tents (Fig. 2).

SPACECOOL was used for pergolas tested in a demonstration experiment aimed at exploring possible solutions to extreme heat conducted by Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd., at Otemachi-nakadori (1-9 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) (Fig. 3).

This Membrane Material can be purchased from SPACECOOL or Kanbo Pras. It can also be purchased as processed products in the form of tents, pergolas, etc. For more information on purchase methods and prices, please contact us at the following.

[Contact information for SPACECOOL]

・General inquiries: https://spacecool.jp/contact2/

・Request for quotation: https://spacecool.jp/contact1/

[Contact information for Kanbo Pras]

・General inquiries: https://kanbo.co.jp/contact

The Material is a radiative cooling^*3 material that not only blocks the heat generated by sunlight and the atmosphere and reduces heat absorption when placed under direct sunlight but also allows the heat to escape back to space based on the principles of radiative cooling technology, thereby lowering the temperature to a level that is cooler than the outside temperature without expending any energy (Fig. 4).

In a demonstration experiment conducted in the summer of 2020 by Osaka Gas, the company that developed the Material, it was shown that the surface temperature of the Material was, at maximum, approximately 6°C^*4 lower than the outside temperature when placed under direct sunlight, making its radiative cooling performance the best^*5 in the world.

^*3 This is achieved through a material design that suppresses heat input from sunlight and amplifies heat output through thermal radiation (a phenomenon where heat from an object that has been heated up is carried off as electromagnetic waves and light) by utilizing Osaka Gas’s proprietary radiative cooling technology.
^*4 This was measured at the Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. Energy Technology Laboratories in Konohana-ku, Osaka, at an ambient temperature of around 35°C by recording the temperatures on the back surface of steel plates on which the radiative cooling material had been installed.

^*5 This is based on research conducted by the Company and Osaka Gas using publications that are publicly available.