Press release Daikin Ice Cool Spot at Expo 2025 in Osaka
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Brussels, September 2024 – At Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan Daikin will set up a brand-new ‘Ice Cool Spot’. This rest area will be equipped with an air conditioning system using natural energy1, as a relief measure against the summer heat.
Since the World Expo 2025 will primarily take place during the summer, measures will be in place at the venue to mitigate the heat. As a leading HVAC-R manufacturer, Daikin has been developing a sustainable air conditioning system that is environmentally conscious and utilizes natural energy to provide cool, comfortable conditions for Expo visitors from around the world.
Inspired by historical icehouses
The Ice Cool Spot was inspired by historical icehouses, which were used to store ice and snow as cold storage facility. For this building, ice is generated by ice thermal storage air conditioning2 technology to provide radiant cooling3 comparable to the coolness experienced under the shade of a tree.
Daikin Ice Cool Spot at World Expo 2025 in Osaka
Environmentally conscious measures, such as using electricity generated by solar power, will be incorporated to produce the ice. The walls adopt a traditional Japanese wood lattice for an open structure that gives visitors a sense of being outdoors, while the roof is equipped with highly aesthetic solar panels in a design that harmonizes with nature.
The Ice Cool Spot will be built in the Progress Plaza, located southwest of the Expo Hall, and will be available for visitors to use at any time during the Expo.
As a company committed to “Perfecting the Air,” Daikin aims to provide Expo visitors with the opportunity to experience the potential and value of air. Through its participation in the Expo, a testing ground for the future society, Daikin has been taking on the challenge of developing an air conditioning system for the future utilizing natural energy sources such as solar power and the radiant cooling of ice.
1) Term used to describe energy obtained from natural phenomena such as the sun, geothermal heat, wind and tidal current
2) A heat storage air conditioning system that uses ice in air conditioners generated by electricity at night
3) Phenomenon in which heat transfer occurs from a high-temperature object (person) to a low-temperature object (ice) via infrared rays and can be experienced when a person loses heat and feels cool
Air conditioning system utilises natural energy
The Ice Cool Spot employs an environmentally conscious air conditioning system that combines the ice thermal storage technology that Daikin has cultivated in its air conditioners with solar power generation. Radiant cooling is obtained from the surrounding ice panels installed inside the Ice Cool Spot, which maintain a surface temperature of 3-8°C. These panels provide a cool, comfortable sensation that feels like being inside an actual icehouse. Made of transparent acrylic, the surface of the ice panels enables visitors to see the ice walls up close to gain a visual sense of the cooling effect. Part of the electricity used by the Ice Cool Spot will be produced by its solar panels. The electricity generated during the day is stored in a battery to make ice at night when the temperature is cooler.
Ice Panel
Ice Panels installed in the Ice Cool Spot
Process of generating electricity via solar panels and storing in a battery to make ice at night
Structure and design harmonize with nature
Benches placed inside the Ice Cool Spot allow seating for around 30 people, and the high, sloping ceiling of 3.3 to 3.7 meters and the extensive use of wood create a relaxing interior space.
Traditional Japanese wood lattice is used for the interior and exterior walls for an open structure with no boundaries between indoors and outdoors. Equipped with green solar panels, the roof blends in with the surrounding trees for a design that beautifully harmonises with nature when seen from above and serves as a symbol of Osaka Expo 2025.
Ice Cool Spot interior - open space with no boundaries between indoors and outdoors
Solar panels on the Ice Cool Spot designed in harmony with nature
Where to find the Ice Cool Spot
Daikin’s Ice Cool Spot will be installed at the Progress Plaza, located southwest of the Expo site, which will be available for use anytime during the Expo.
Expo map
Daikin’s Ice Cool Spot
Location: 1-chome Yumeshima, Konohana Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture Total floor area: Approx. 70m2 ; Structure: Wood
Daikin Ice Cool Spot
About
100 years Daikin
The story of Daikin has always been shaped by groundbreaking ideas, technological innovations, and dedicated people. It began in 1924 when the young Japanese engineer Akira Yamada founded an enterprise in Osaka to manufacture aircraft radiators with a 15-member team. Today, 100 years later, the Daikin Industries Ltd. group brings future-proof solutions for heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification, and refrigeration to global markets. More than 98,000 employees in 175 countries continue the company's legacy of leading technologies to advance low carbon heating and cooling, while ensuring the highest level of comfort. For its fiscal year 2023 the global Daikin Group reported a record sales result of € 28 billion sales (1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024). Read more on 100 Years Daikin
Daikin Industries Ltd.
Daikin Industries is a worldwide leader in heat pump, air conditioning, and air filtration technology, employing more than 98,000 people. Founded in Osaka in 1924, it is the only manufacturer in the world that develops and manufactures HVAC-R equipment, compressors and refrigerants in-house. Daikin has been recognized as one of the world’s top 100 most innovative companies by Clarivate (UK) and LexisNexis (USA) for its leadership in technology research and intellectual property patents. For its fiscal year 2023 (April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024), the Daikin reported a record sales result of €28 billion. Read more on www.daikin.com
Daikin Europe N.V.
The Daikin Europe Group is a leading provider of heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification and refrigeration (HVAC-R) technology across Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Daikin designs, manufactures, and offers customers a broad portfolio of products, maintenance services, and turnkey solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. The group currently employs over 13,800 people across more than 59 subsidiaries and operates 14 manufacturing sites in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, the United Kingdom, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Headquartered in Ostend, Belgium, for over 50 years, the Daikin Europe Group is a subsidiary of Daikin Industries Ltd. Read more on www.daikin.eu
Daikin Airconditioning Central Europe
Daikin Airconditioning Central Europe, founded in 1999 with its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, operates as a subsidiary of Daikin Europe. Its portfolio includes products and total solutions for heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification, and refrigeration in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. With over 700 employees and 3,400 partners, the company manages sales and service activities across 16 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including Austria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
With 'Your Daikin World' at the Vienna headquarters and the 'Daikin Inspiration Park,' the HVAC-R industry and the construction sector have access to two state-of-the-art B2B-experience centers for co-creating tailor-made solutions for hotels, retail, offices, and large commercial applications. Across the CE-region Daikin runs 10 out of 116 B2B-trainings centers across Europe. Consumers and homeowners receive consultations at four B2C-Experience centers in Vienna, Belgrade, Bratislava and Budapest. Read more on www.daikin-ce.com
Media contact
Daikin Europe N.V.
Sofie Sap - T.: +32 472 580482 Mail: sap.s@daikineurope.com
Daisuke Kakinaga - T.: +32 465 462321 Mail: kakinaga.d@bxl.daikineurope.com
Daikin Central Europe
Doris Passler, Manager Corporate Communications - T: +43 (0) 664 24 56 444 Mail: passler.d@daikin.at
Daikin Airconditioning Central Europe HandelsgmbH
Lemböckgasse 59/1/1, 1230 Vienna, Austria
