'Snow Cooling System' Gaining Popularity in Hokkaido

A unique project to use snow as a clean cooling energy source has been gaining ground in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island. In Bibai City, which has a population of about 30,000 and an annual snowfall of more than eight meters, local academic, business and government sectors have conducted a joint research project, the "Snow Cooling Project," since 1998 in an effort to develop natural energy resources appropriate to snowy regions.

Aiming to create a "snow business," they drew up plans for installing snow cooling systems in collective residential housings. Beginning with the first installation at a housing complex in 1991, they introduced the system to a community home for the elderly in 2000, a nursing home in 2002, and a public hot spring facility in 2003.

In this snow cooling system, snow is stored in warehouses during the winter and its low temperature is used to condition air in summer. There are two types of system: one that circulates cool air and another that circulates cool water. The former exposes air to the snow surface, and the latter uses melted snow water as the cryogenic energy source. Both types of system can be installed together depending on the features of the building.

Compared with conventional air conditioners that emit heat to the outside air and consume chlorofluorocarbons, both types of snow cooling systems are not only eco-friendly but also save about 40 of electricity costs and help cut snow removal costs. Bibai City expects to introduce this system to medical care facilities, nursing homes, hotels and office buildings in the near future as well.





Posted: 2005/01/20 01:30:14 PM
Japanese version