On 6 Feb. 2025, WWF-Cambodia recognized the work done by Templation-Maads team with a Certificate of Smart Cooling Champion, awarded for its "innovative cooling solution in hotel context, unwavering dedication to advancing sustainable practices, promoting environmental
conservation, and contributing to a greener, more sustainable future for all." The award was handed to Maads founder Alexis de Suremain by Mr. Kong Soeun, representative of the Minister of Tourism of Cambodia.
The recognized low-tech solution promotes a solar-powered air-cooling system that concentrates on the sleeping area in hotel rooms, while the general surroundings can be easily cooled down with natural air flow and low power-consumption fans. In his remark to the event, Alexis noted that "guests spend an average of 10 hours in their hotel room, of which 8 hours in bed. During the 2 hours they spend outside their bed, the guests of a green-positioned hotel will accept the comfort of a well-ventilated room and a fan. Actual cooling is only necessary within the mosquito net of the bed (10% of the room volume) during eight hours (1/3 of a day).
Compared to a conventional full time, full space air-conditioning, such limited cooling requires 75% less energy, making it possible to use limited photovoltaic power."
The prototype, currently in fine-tuning phase at Aquation Office Park, is made of
- A specially designed four-poster bed supporting two stainless tanks each holding 700 liters of water in an insulated space above the sleeping area. During the day, the sun-generated power feeds the compressors, cooling the water down to 10 °C;
- The volume of water of 2 x 700 litres, cooled down by solar-powered compressors for a period of seven hours, average sunlight period in Cambodia;
- Cooled air released into the bed mosquito net through a vent opened at night time. During tests, water temp was still around 18 °C at 07:00 AM. The temperature Inside the mosquito net was comfortable throughout the night;
- Condensed air moisture was collected bellow the water tanks by a specially designed tray connected to an evacuation pipe, thus significantly reducing humidity of the space.
Testimony of Cambodian hospitality sector's dedication to innovative environmental solutions, other actors were also rewarded by WWF: Six Senses Resort for power management across its installations on Krabey Island, and Phum Khmer Lodge in Siem Reap.
The 6 February event was hosted by École d'Hôtellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrule (EHT). Executive Director François Schnoebelen remarked that the famed hospitality school has been recognized as the first Eco-Campus in South East Asia.
Alexis de Suremain thanked WWF Cambodia, Marie de Suremain, Maads Team - especially Ek Leaphy and Chen Somonea -, Evangeline Hardy and Julie Mercier from Institut National des Sciences Appliquées, and the late Bruno Dagues, Institute of Technology of Cambodia.