News

As most of us are painfully aware during the cold winter, it takes a lot of energy to heat an entire building through air conditioning.

Professor Kiyoshi Saito of Waseda’s School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, Department of Applied Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering has been conducting research on how to evaluate the performance of air conditioners, calculating real-time operating conditions that consider various building characteristics.

In the above video, Saito mentions that his research team is focusing on heating pumps, which are frequently used for air conditioners and refrigerators, and the phase change of chlorofluorocarbons to cool down and heat up their environments. While the focus is on small-scale processes, this research could contribute greatly to carbon neutrality, a goal that the University has been charging full-force towards with its university-wide declaration, the WASEDA Carbon Net Zero Challenge.

Saito is also acting as Dean to the University’s newly established Sustainable Energy & Environmental Society Open Innovation Research Organization, which aims to utilize the knowledge and collaboration of students, faculty, and researchers from various academic fields to further contribute to a more sustainable future.