PHL students develop concrete panel to cut home energy use

By Edg Adrian A. Eva, Reporter

A GROUP of students from Mindanao State University has developed a concrete panel designed to reduce indoor heat and cut household energy use, offering a potential low-cost solution to rising electricity demand driven by hotter temperatures.

Called ChillWise, the concrete panel minimizes heat transfer in homes and could lessen dependence on air-conditioning, co-developer John Joseph P. Banticil told BusinessWorld in an interview in Filipino. “It’s an innovative solution that addresses higher electricity consumption in every household, especially now that temperatures are rising.”

ChillWise was named one of two national runners-up in the Philippine leg of the 2025 James Dyson Award, an annual global competition for student inventors.

The team will advance to the international round, where winners will be announced on Nov. 5 and can receive as much as P2.16 million in prize money.

The ChillWise panel is a lightweight foamed concrete that contains air bubbles that act as natural insulation by slowing heat transfer. It also integrates a microencapsulated phase change material — a substance that absorbs and releases heat to stabilize indoor temperatures.

“Microencapsulated phase change material consists of tiny capsules that act like ice,” Mr. Banticil said. “When exposed to heat, they absorb it and melt, trapping the heat inside the wall.”

To enhance sustainability, the team incorporated rice hull ash and fly ash as fillers, which reduce costs, strengthen the panels and lower carbon emissions. In laboratory tests, ChillWise recorded up to 95% energy savings compared with conventional concrete, the developers said.

The project aligns with regional energy concerns. The International Energy Agency estimates that electricity demand for space cooling across Southeast Asia including the Philippines could surge to 300 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2040, from about 80 TWh in 2020.

The agency has urged countries to adopt measures that improve building insulation and reduce cooling loads.

Co-developer Jayvimar B. Sumagang said the group plans to conduct market testing by using ChillWise panels in actual homes and buildings to assess user experience and durability.

“We would like to understand the needs, preferences and constraints of our target users,” he said. “Essentially, we are trying to achieve product-market fit.”

The patent process for ChillWise is under way, and the developers said they are exploring partnerships with government agencies and construction companies to bring the product to market.