SPACECOOL INC., Nihon Widecloth Co., Ltd., and Ishikawa Tent Y.K. have agreed to jointly develop and distribute SPACECOOL×Roof Shade, a sunshade for roofs that utilizes the radiative cooling material SPACECOOL, which is capable of zero-energy cooling.

SPACECOOL INC. (hereinafter, “SPACECOOL”), Nihon Widecloth Co., Ltd. (hereinafter, “Nihon Widecloth”), and Ishikawa Tent Y.K. (hereinafter, “Ishikawa Tent”) have agreed to jointly develop and distribute SPACECOOL×Roof Shade, a sunshade for roofs that utilizes the radiative cooling material SPACECOOL (hereinafter, “this Material”), which is capable of zero-energy cooling.

The companies will work together to promote the adoption of this product by conducting demonstrations and building its performance record this summer.

SPACECOOL×Roof Shade works by laying a sheet made from this Material (hereinafter, “the Sheet”) over the top of the folded-plate roofs of warehouses and other buildings to not only block the heat generated by sunlight and the atmosphere and reduce heat absorption but also allow the heat to escape back to space based on the principles of radiative cooling technology, thereby controlling the temperature rise inside the building. Moreover, the air layer between the Sheet and the folded-plate roof reduces heat conduction and allows the heat to be expelled through wind currents, thereby reducing the power consumption of air conditioners used in buildings, which is expected to contribute to lower energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.

In addition, this Material can play a role in mitigating the heat island effect by cooling the roofs of buildings in densely populated areas such as cities.

Metal folded-plate roofs that are installed in many factories and warehouses tend to store heat in the summer due to solar radiation and lead to rising temperatures. This can give rise to a variety of problems, including a warm indoor environment, a rise in energy consumed by air conditioners, and the generation of noise.

By laying the Sheet, which is capable of zero-energy cooling, over the top of a metal folded-plate roof, the roof’s surface temperature can be significantly reduced. The product is also easy to install and can be set up at a low cost. (Fig.1)

[Contact information for SPACECOOL] 

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

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

[Contact information for Nihon Widecloth] 

・General inquiries: https://www.sunsunnet.co.jp/widecloth/contact/index.php 

[Contact information for Ishikawa Tent]

・General inquiries: https://www.i-tent.com/contact 

This Material is a radiative cooling 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,^*3 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 this 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. (Fig. 5)

^*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.