SPACECOOL INC. (hereinafter, “SPACECOOL”) is pleased to announce that a membrane material made of the radiative cooling material SPACECOOL jointly developed with Kanbo Pras Corporation (hereinafter, “SPACECOOL Membrane Material”) is expected to be adopted for the Gas Pavilion that will be showcased by the Japan Gas Association (hereinafter, “the Japan Gas Association”) at the 2025 World Exposition to be held in Yumeshima, Osaka (hereinafter, “Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan”). SPACECOOL is capable of zero-energy cooling and serves to reduce the air-conditioning load at the Gas Pavilion, thus contributing to the creation of a low-carbon society.

Membrane structures such as the Gas Pavilion 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 for the material (Certification No.: NM5553) and intend to obtain Class B membrane material certification for it moving forward. The product is expected to be adopted for use once it has been certified as a Class B membrane material.

The SPACECOOL Membrane Material’s base fabric is made of glass fiber, is robust, and has been certified as a noncombustible material, allowing it to be used in a variety of architectural applications (Table 1).

Comparative verification testing of tents made with SPACECOOL, regular tents, and heat-shielding tents manufactured by other companies conducted at the Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. Energy Technology Laboratories in Konohana-ku, Osaka, found that tents made with SPACECOOL reduced the air-conditioning load in summer by approximately 40% as compared to regular tents (Fig.1).

SPACECOOL is a radiative cooling^*1 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. 2).

^*1 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.

Expo 2025 is a world exposition scheduled to be held in Yumeshima, Osaka, from April 13 to October 13, 2025, under the theme of “designing future society for our lives.” The venue will be designed as a testing ground for future society, where new technologies and systems are demonstrated under the concept of “People’s Living Lab,” to spark innovation by various parties with the ultimate goal of implementing the results in society and creating Society 5.0.

The concept of the Gas Pavilion is “Transform, future!” This is based on the idea that the world can be transformed into a place filled with hope through the further evolution of energy and steps taken by each one of us who makes significant changes to our mindset and behavior aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by the year 2050. The goal is therefore one of “transformation (bakeru).” The slogan “Transform, future!” seeks to represent the first step we will take toward creating a future society for our lives.

The name of the pavilion is “Gas Pavilion Obake Wonderland.” Obake Wonderland is a mysterious world featuring many “ghosts” (obake), characters that serve as a symbol of the transformation (bakeru). The pavilion will offer thrilling and exciting hands-on experiences, through which visitors can take part in the transformation with these “ghosts.”

The pavilion’s membrane material will be made with the radiative cooling material SPACECOOL to reduce its air-conditioning load and contribute to the creation of a low-carbon society.^*2

^*2 Source: Press release of the Japan Gas Association