Cooling the City by Generating Wind with IoT and Passion Fruit Greenery
[Cool Island System]

Suzutatouge LLC

■Industry: Wholesale, retail

Updated	July 8, 2022
Publication date	April 23, 2018
Sector	Life of Citizenry and Urban Life, Human Health

Company Overview

In 2002, we started a campaign to revitalize the village called "Let's make a roadside station for Suzuta area," which was approved as a subsidized project by Nagasaki Prefecture, and in November 2006, we opened a farm produce direct sales shop and a farming village restaurant.

Since the opening, we have been growing greenery curtains outside the produce shop.

From 2010, we started our research on the greenery curtains of passion fruit. In August 2014, we obtained a patent for “Mobile Passion Fruit Greenery” (No. 5590537). In August 2017, we were selected for the "Cooling the City with Greenery" demonstration test by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, which was to be used as a heat countermeasure for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In January 2018, we were approved for the Management Innovation Plan. (Approval Series No. 556)

Climate Change Impacts

The heat island phenomenon caused by urbanization increases the risk of heat stroke. By the effects of climate change being added to that, there are also growing concerns that the risk of heat-related illnesses will further increase in the coming future.

Adaptation Initiatives

We have developed the Cool Island System as a measure to create wind and cool the city. This system can create natural breezes in the city through the passion fruit shade-type greenery, and mist control using IoT technology.

① Patented technology supporting the business: mobile passion fruit shade-type greenery

Taking advantage of the characteristics of perennial vines, we grow the plants in a greenhouse during winter using a specific polyester net. It is then transported by trucks in a compact cylindrical form using the flexible polyester net that maintains its shape.
When the cylindrical passion fruit is spread out at the installation site, the greening will be done in no time.

② Greening system with IoT-controlled mist generator

The air cooled in the shade moves towards the air warmed in the sun. Using this principle, the passion fruit shade-type greenery is combined with an IoT-controlled mist generator to create a greening device that uses vaporization heat to generate cool air and natural breeze.

③ Data collection through LoRa

Several greening devices and various sensors are placed in the area to collect data through LoRa.

The data will be analyzed by AI in combination with weather information and area map information, and will be utilized for urban development.

④ Cool Island System

Based on the data analyzed by AI, greening devices with IoT-controlled mist generators will be placed in the area to promote the circulation of cool air and form a mass of cool air called Cool Island, to adapt to the impact of extreme heat on our lives and realize sustainable urban development.

Effects / Expected Benefits

The introduction of passion fruit shade-type greenery is expected to reduce the rise in temperature by blocking solar radiation and evapotranspiration. The Cool Island System is also expected to effectively cool the area with the flow of air generated from natural breezes.