This system, used in Japan or Sweden, saves money and reduces electricity costs and CO2 emissions. Making a default under, or large winter snow air conditioning system in summer. Hospitals, airports, grocery stores, parks, information appliances using this system in Japan or Sweden.
Its makers store and take advantage of the cold snow and melt water in the warmer months. The system achieves significant savings in electricity and fuel, and reduces the emission of gasses harmful to the environment, such as carbon dioxide (CO2).
Snow in Winter, Air Conditioning in Summer
Ice and snow have been used for centuries to preserve food or to produce ice cream. Until a few years ago, the chests of the excavated houses and the snowfields in the mountains near the city were common. With the advent of electricity and household appliances, these systems passed into history.
The island of Hokkaido, the northern tip of Japan, has regained the idea to adapt to changing times. Bibai, a city of 30,000 people located on the island, suffers from heavy snowfalls each year capable of more than eight feet thick.
To address this problem, and incidentally get performance, designed the so-called “draft cooling snow”. The aim of its proponents, a research consortium of scientists, entrepreneurs and government, is to use all that huge amount of snow as “fuel” in the summer for air conditioners.
The idea is to remove the snow in warehouses or industrial buildings covered with insulation during the winter to take advantage of its low temperature (between zero and four degrees Celsius) in summer. In this way, it becomes a giant fridge to keep all kinds of food products such as rice. The winery can be located next to large homes, hospitals, hotels or offices.
The system channels and filtered cold air emanating from the surface of the snow and fresh water to melt. Currently, there are over one hundred facilities, including schools, a residential complex, a group home for elderly or a health center using this technology on this Japanese island.
Its officials explain that it is more environmentally friendly and cheaper than conventional for several reasons. By keeping the snow, melt it avoids work, and thus the use of salt or other remedies harmful to the environment.
The system uses no fossil fuels or gasses harmful to ozone layer such as CFCs, present until its ban on conventional air conditioners. According to its leaders, to take a ton of snow prevents the use of ten liters of oil and emissions of 30 kilos of CO2 into the atmosphere. It is estimated that the city uses an average of 4,500 tons, saving the equivalent of 45,000 liters of oil and 135,000 kilos of CO2.
Airports, Parks and Data Centers
The system has spread to other landmarks of Hokkaido. The New Chitose Airport planned to make it fully operational throughout the year. The snow will be reused during the winter to provide air conditioning and cold water facilities in the warmer months. With the measure, its managers hope to prevent the emission of 2,100 tons of CO2 per year.
The initiative is included in the emissions trading United Nations. This plan allows developed countries such as Japan, the fourth largest country in the world CO2 emissions, the purchase of credits for technology projects involving the reduction of such emissions.
Moerenuma Park Located in Sapporo, Hokkaido’s capital, using air conditioning with snow from June to September in one of their star buildings, its glass pyramid. Its author, the architect Isamu Noguchi designed the park as a “complete sculpture”, which includes playgrounds, a beach, a mountain, a fountain and the pyramid above.
The field of new technologies could be another benefit. Companies NEC, IBM, Fujitsu and Hitachi have created a research group, the Hokkaido Green Energy Data Center, to build a data processing center (data center) in Ishikari (Hokkaido) to include cooling with snow. These devices, large, devoted almost half of the total electricity consumed to avoid overheating.
According to estimates by the group, a data processing center of medium size with this system would be able to reduce the cost of electricity to cool by 69% during the winter months and 90% in the warmer months. In a period of 20 years, the savings would translate into about 80 million euros. If the plan becomes reality, it could become a reference for other data centers around the world.
The Japanese company Denso, which specializes in manufacturing auto parts, also announced its intention to use this system at its facilities in Hokkaido. The plant produces electronic components for stabilizing the movement of cars, and demands much energy to maintain optimum temperature. The move is part of other measures to protect the environment and saving money in this business.
Hokkaido is not alone in using this system. Sundsvall Hospital, Sweden, powers air conditioning in summer due to the storage of 60,000 cubic meters of the abundant snow that piles up on its outskirts during the winter. Manager, Kjell Skogsberg, gave a dissertation on this system and created the company Snowpower with which to extend this technology to the rest of their country and do business. Sundsvall Hospital uses a combination of natural and artificial snow.