No. 146: Latest Japanese achievements for global environment (October 16, 2015)

Technology:

Latest Japanese achievements for global environment were released. The grand champion is, of course, Toyota’s fuel cell vehicle “Mirai (the future),” and it is followed by various epoch-making technologies to preserve global environment. Mirai has already received a total of more than 3,000 units by the end of August this year for the domestic market alone. It is priced at about 7 million yen now, though it cost 100 million yen to build a prototype model in 2008. Toyota is scheduled to increase the annual production capacity from 700 units at present to 3,000 units in 2017.

Research Institute for Humanity and Nature developed a technology to increase crop yields by preventing the soil from being eroded. The new technology creates fallow soil about 5 meters wide in the farmland where no seeds are planted and no weeds are eradicated. Because soil and organic substances are blown to the fallow soil, crop yields of the entirely farmland increases by changing the place of the fallow soil every year. The experiment conducted in Niger of Africa, the new technology decreased wind erosion by about 70% and increased crop yields by 30-80%. It does not need much investment, and it greatly contributes to increasing food production in regions suffering from poverty.  

Taisei Corporation developed a technology to purify water polluted water of industrial water disposal facilities and industrial effluent treatment facilities with the help of bacteria found in the soil in alliance with Osaka University and Kitasato University. The new technology efficiently dissolves 1,4-Dioxane that is hard to eliminate and supposed to pose a health risk. It can decrease the maintenance cost by 80% and input energy by 60% than the method that uses an oxidant. The experiment to prove the performance of this technology proved that it can maintain the ability to keep the concentration of polluted groundwater at lower than the environmental standard for three months.

Railway Technical Research Institute developed a superconductive cable that can reduce energy consumption by 5%. It succeeded in the test run this year using an existing railway line.

 A greening project in a desert by a private company in Kobe

  The future society to be realized by superconductive cables

No. 145: Urban mine is growing its presence as a source of rare metals (April18, 2015)

Technology:

Since the law to purchase renewable energy at a fixed price was enacted in 2012, photovoltaic generation has been growing popular quite rapidly. A solar panel has a life between 20 and 30 years. The Ministry of the Environment estimates that used photovoltaic generation equipment will amount up to 700,000 tons in 2030. A solar battery contains various metals including rare metals like iridium and has the possibility of becoming prospect in the future.  

DOWA Holdings has been developing technologies to recover metals like gold, silver, and copper from black ores since the Meiji Period, and it is working on solar panels to establish a technology to recycle them with a view to recovering rare metals. It is urgent and important to establish a recycling technology to eliminate a large amount of used solar panels to be thrown away for land reclamation. Urban mine is a very important source of metals. The Institute of Metal Sciences reckons that urban mine in Japan is estimated to have more than 10% of world’s reserves of such metals as gold, silver, tin, and iridium.

Tantalum, for example, is a rare metal. Mitsui Kinzoku Recycle is developing a technology to recover tantalum from tantalum capacitors in collaboration with National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. The technology is to separate capacitors from electronic substrates and recover tantalum at a high purity utilizing the difference of specific gravity. The company is scheduled to start commercial production of tantalum in 2016.

Ricoh and Japan Future Eco-Systems are jointly developing a technology to change waste plastics not to resin materials but to oil. They heat waste plastics to 600-800 degrees centigrade in an iron container, and recover heating oil and heavy oil from vaporized substance. They are in the middle of putting this technology into practical application. Ricoh is receiving inquiries on this technology from Southeast Asian countries and confident of spreading this technology worldwide.

The Japanese domestic recycling market is estimated at 7 trillion yen and supposed to grow further thanks to technological innovation that increases recoverable amount and expands the products subject to recycling.

 Exploring urban mines

Rare metal selection equipment (1)

Rare metal selection equipment (2)

No. 144: Building the concept of urban coalfield to help a local government get revenue (November 18, 2013)

Technology:

Toshiba got an order from a local government in the Tokyo metropolitan area for a plant to produce fuel using sludge coming from the sewerage treatment plant jointly with JEF Engineering. Toshiba’s technology eliminates water from sludge and heats the dewatered sludge for 2-3 hours, and produces fuel that has a half amount of energy as coal. Sludge is heated at 160-170 degrees centigrade for one hour to eliminate water in the first stage, and subsequently heated at 400-600 degrees centigrade for one-two hours in the second stage. As fuel for these two stages, Toshiba’s technology uses flammable gases, such as methane and carbon monoxide, and recycles waste heat. Auxiliary fuel, such as city gas and heavy oil, accounts only for several percentages in the fuel used for burning.  

 The concept of urban coalfield is no longer a dream.

It is possible to produce 80-100 kg of fuel from one ton of sludge. Toshiba’s technology produces fuel that has 60-70% calorie as coal, and the produced fuel can be used for fuel in cement plants and coal-fired thermal power stations. The first plant to be constructed by Toshiba will treat 62,000 tons of dewatered sludge annually. In addition to producing fuel, Toshiba’s technology can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 80% as compared with the existing method that reduces volume of sludge by dewatering and burning.

What is more, Toshiba’s technology will help the local government get revenue by selling the produced fuel. This is the concept of urban coalfield. As of 2010, 78% of sludge is recycled, and 40% of the recycled sludge is used as a raw material of cement and only 1% is recycled as energy. It is expected that fuel equivalent to 1.5 million tons of coals can be produced by utilizing sewage sludge annually in Japan.

 

 Producing fuel for power plants from sewage sludge

No. 143: Technology to recycle polycarbonate ABS resin used in flat-screen TVs (November 7, 2013)

Technology:

Sharp established a technology to recycle high-performance resin polycarbonate ABS resin used in flat-screen TVs. Because prolonged use deteriorates polycarbonate ABS resin, it cannot easily be recycled for home electric appliances. The company developed an additive to recover the deterioration in collaboration with Kansai Recycle Systems in Hirakata city, Osaka Prefecture. This additive allows used polycarbonate ABS to recover almost the same product characteristics as new one, and the cost to recycle polycarbonate ABS with this additive is expected to be the same as the cost to use new one. 

 Parts of in-car air-purifier that employ 

recycled polycarbonate ABS

Polycarbonate ABS accounts for more than 50% of all resins used in flat-screen TVs. Although it is a major material characterized by impact resistance and flame resistance, it is currently recycled for only sundries because of the difficulty of recycling. Sharp plans to use recycled polycarbonate ABS for new flat-screen TVs, but only 3 million flat-screen TVs are being recovered annually at present, a well below the break-even point for recycling. Accordingly, recycled polycarbonate ABS will presumably be applied to new flat-screen TVs beginning in 2018. In the initial stage, it will be used for in-car air-purifiers.   

 High precision resin sorting equipment

No. 142: Japanese plan to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions worldwide toward 2050 (August 8, 2013)

Technology:

The Council for Science and Technology Policy laid down an environmental energy innovation plan to reduce Japan’s CO2 emissions by about 15% from the present level toward 2050 as Japan’s contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide to 50% by 2050. The new plan specified the seven major fields for the reduction and set a target value in each field.

Environment Energy Innovation Plan

Field	Target
Electric vehicle and plug-in-hybrid vehicle	Help the world reduce CO2 emissions by 1.7 billion tons by decreasing the battery cost
Innovative structural materials	Help the world reduce CO2 emissions by 4.7 billion tons by reducing the weight of a vehicle
Artificial photosynthesis	Increase the conversion efficiency of photocatalyst to 10% by 2021
Wind generation	Help the world reduce CO2 emissions by 3.0 billion tons through the practical use of floating offshore wind generation
Utilization of ocean energy	Reduce the generation cost of tidal power and wave power to less than 20 yen/kW
Geothermal generation	Help the world reduce CO2 emissions by 500 million tons by spreading generation that utilizes low-temperature hot water

The plan will formally be approved at the end of August and submitted to the General Assembly of the United Nations this September and COP19 this November. Japan reviewed the plan for the first time since 2008. The roadmap of the new plan covers 37 fields including the above six fields.

In the innovative structural materials, Japan plans to increase the strength and ductility of steel, magnesium materials, ceramics, and carbon-fiber composites to reduce the weight and production cost of a vehicle. The Council reckons that the spread of these materials as vehicle materials will help the world reduce CO2 emissions by 4.7 billion tons in 2050. In the field of artificial photosynthesis, the government wishes to increase the energy conversion rate by 30 times of the present level to 10% by 2021 through the development of a film that can separate hydrogen from water.   

Ocean thermal energy conversion (image)

No. 141: Innovative approaches to power saving emerge one after another (June 24, 2013)

Technology:

Venture companies specializing in power saving are advancing their competitive edge. Sassor will start to provide retail and restaurant chains with consulting on power saving. They put a special device on the distribution switchboard and measure the operational status of air-conditioners and dishwaters. They analyze collected data on power consumption and use frequency, and display their suggestions automatically on the tablets installed on each outlet. Comparing the operational status of equipment between outlets will help the chain to work out effective measures for power saving. They also plan to draw typical patterns of wasteful spending and submit them to the chain for more effective measures.

PICO ADA provides hospital and hotels with an optimization control service of electricity, gas, and water supply. In these facilities, power is needed to circulate water for kitchens and bathrooms. They save water to reduce power consumption of pumps and adjust the volume of air-conditioners. They forecast hourly change of weather by simulating data from the Meteorological Agency using their self-developed software. Their approach can reduce energy and water supply charges by 15%. A hospital with 300 beds supposedly can reduce expenditure by 10 million yen per year. They offer the equipment and operation support for 4,200,000 yen per year. They collect and analyze data from 1,500 facilities across the country to improve the control program constantly for higher accuracy. 

   A campaign girl distributes uchiwa (paper fan) to pedestrians 

on the street as the easiest and cheapest way of energy saving.

No. 140: Japanese environmental technology is increasing its presence in Asia and Africa (June 4, 2013)

Business trend:

The Japanese government will reach an agreement with Ethiopia shortly to get an emission quota of carbon dioxide from Ethiopia in exchange for providing it with state-of-the-art environmental technology. The first technology to be transferred to Ethiopia will be the geothermal generation technology. In East Africa, geothermal generation is promising because a great rift zone made up of volcanoes exists. Ethiopia is in urgent need of power source other than hydraulic power generation to cope with rapid growth of economy and population. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been assisting Japanese companies in their survey on geothermal generation in this area. The Japanese government is also expected to reach an agreement with Indonesia on Japan’s support for infrastructure improvement. The Ministry of Environment will help Indonesia build waste disposal plants and improve the waster supply and sewerage systems in such large cities as Surabaya.

Major countries with which Japan is negotiating on the bilateral quota system

Status	Country	Environmental technology to be transferred
Agreement has already been concluded	Mongolia Bangladesh	Highly-efficient thermal power generation
Agreement will likely be concluded shortly	Ethiopia Indonesia	Geothermal generation
Negotiations are in progress	Vietnam, India, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia	Biomass generation, off-shore wind generation, energy-saving technology, water supply and sewerage systems, waste treatment
Negotiations are in progress	Kenya	Photovoltaic generation, geothermal generation

Japan proposed the bilateral credit system that allows providing environmental technology to set off emissions of greenhouse gases as a system after 2020 when the Kyoto Protocol ends. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been assisting Japanese companies in their survey on geothermal generation in this area. Japan proposed the bilateral credit system that allows providing environmental technology to set off emissions of greenhouse gases as a system after 2020 when the Kyoto Protocol ends. Japan has already agreed with Mongolia and Bangladesh on the bilateral quota system. Thanks to the strenuous efforts of Japanese government officials, Japanese environmental technology is increasing its presence in Asia and Africa steadily. 

Potential of geothermal generation

 

No. 139: A demonstrative driving experiment of small EV trucks starts in Tokyo (March 4, 2013)

Technology: 
Yamato Transport that is the leader of Japan’s home delivery business, Toyota, and Hino will start a demonstrative driving experiment of small EV trucks by the end of this month. The small EV trucks used in the experiment carry a load of one ton and travel about 20-30 km per day. They carry a refrigerated compartment and a chillroom for the refrigerated courier service. The research team will study advantages including reducing environmental load to be realized by the switchover of the fuel from light oil to electricity and the performance of batteries.

The small EV truck travels about 100 km per charge. The motor is housed below the driver’s seat, and the height of load-carrying platform is about 44 cm, about half of the height of the current load-carrying platform, to increase the efficiency of loading and unloading of the cargo. The two experimental small EV trucks will be in service in Tokyo until February 2014.

    

 

The experimental small EV trucks will

　travel inside Tokyo until February 2014

 

No. 138: Nittsu’s Grass-roots activities to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Asia (January 2, 2013)

Business trend:

Beginning in 2013, Nippon Express (Nittsu) that is Japan’s largest transportation company will give guidance to truck drivers about energy-saving driving in Vietnam to reduce CO2 emissions by 7%. The company plans to expand the grass-roots activities to Indonesia and Thailand and ultimately wishes to apply the energy-saving driving to hundreds of thousands of trucks it operates worldwide. It will use the reduced amount as its emission allowances. It reckons that it will be able to reduce about 950,000 tons of CO2 that it emitted in Japan in 2011 to nearly zero should it introduce the energy saving driving to 200,000 trucks.

The guidance about energy saving driving is under way in Malaysia. Based on the results in Malaysia, the company reckons that it will be possible to reduce 5 tons of CO2 emissions per truck per year in Vietnam if the energy-saving driving technique becomes widespread. Vietnamese drivers will be instructed to stop idling while waiting for the green signal. In addition, trucks will be loaded with the latest driving control system that tells where the driver made a hard stop and sudden acceleration besides showing fuel consumption of each driver.  

The green letters show that the driver is 

traveling in the energy-saving mode. 

No. 137: A technology to recycle liquid crystal display TVs completely (January 1, 2013)

Technology:

Sharp developed a technology to recycle used liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs completely in alliance with Osaka Prefecture University. They successfully created zeolite by reacting pulverized glass in the alkaline solution. Zeolite is expected to enjoy stable demand because it can be used as a soil improvement agent. 

Glass of LCD panel is hard to recycle because it has a protective film on it, and LCD TV makers provide it to recycling manufacturers as a cement material for virtually free. The LCD TV is subject to Home Appliance Recycling Law, and consumes share the cost for recycling. They pay about 2,800 yen for each larger-than-16 inch LCD TV. It is estimated that 600,000 LCD TVs were discarded in 2011. The number of discarded LCD TVs is estimated to increase to 2,600,000 units in 2015 and 5,000,000 units in 2020. Sharp plans to put the technology into practical use in 2015 and provide it to other home electronics companies. 

Recyling LCD TVs

Sharp developed a technology for 

complete recycling of LCD TVs  

No. 136: BEMS is spreading among medium-sized companies (November 1, 2012)

Business trend:

The building energy management system (BEMS) is spreading among medium-sized companies. Orix, that is a multi business company, started to introduce a BEMS into a medium-sized company without an initial cost. Orix installs a power monitoring system in buildings, shops, and facilities at its own expense, and pays monthly communication cost. Orix collects investment from part of the value that a building saved. It pays up to 80% of the saved value to the client as a reward. In the case of a facility that uses 16 million yen for electricity annually, saved value is 3,200,000 yen if electricity is saved 20%. In this case, Orix collects 640,000 yen, while the remaining 2,560,000 yen is the cost that the client reduced with the help of the BEMS. Because it takes long to collect all the introduction cost, the client cannot cancel the contract for five years in principle.

IBM Japan will launch a service to reduce power consumption of buildings jointly with AEON that is one of Japan’s leading supermarket chains. In the initial stage, the two companies plan to install the system in AEON’s 180 outlets across the country. Toshiba will market a system that monitors power consumption for 24 hours utilizing the elevator monitoring system it has accumulated. Toshiba’s system starts at one million yen. Hitachi will also market a small BEMS to small facilities. Tokyo Gas works with its groups companies to control power consumption at a peak period and offers six different kinds of BEMS products and services.

  

Building Energy Management System (BEMS)

No. 135: Utilizing electricity generating microorganisms to the treatment of plant effluent (October 29, 2012)

Technology:

Tokyo University started the research to develop a system that utilizes electricity generating microorganisms for the treatment of effluent from plants in alliance with Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Panasonic, and Sekisui Chemical. The system will generate power necessary to run the facility while treating organic substances in the effluent. It is expected to reduce the power consumption by up to 80%. They are scheduled to start the substantiative experiment in 2014 and put the system into practical use in 7-8 years.

Several microorganisms that emit electrons stored inside exist in the natural world. Kazuhito Hashimoto of Tokyo University and Kazuya Watanabe of Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences built a fuel cell using several electricity generating microorganisms. They applied microorganisms to the metal surface of the negative electrode and immersed it in the effluent to generate electrons. In the experiment, they used one liter of effluent and eliminated 80% of organic substances in six hours, and generated electricity of 80-500 milliwatts. The research team plans to develop a system that can treat one ton of effluent in 24 hours by enlarging the size of a cell and improving the generation efficiency through modified combination of microorganisms and upgraded electrode.

The new system does not need equipment to mix effluent because the microorganisms used in the system can live without oxygen. At the same time, the new system creates about one third of the existing effluent treatment facility because the propagation of microorganisms is rather small. The same kind of research is under way in the U.S. Australia, Great Britain, and Korea. Kazuhito Hashimoto of Tokyo University predicts that an independent effluent treatment system without energy supply may be viable. The new system will solve the energy-saving problems that advanced countries have in common and create a big market in developing countries in need of improving electricity infrastructure.

The new system for the treatment of plant effluent utilizing electricity generating microorganisms. It does not need equipment to mix effluent because the microorganisms used in the system can live without oxygen.    

No. 134: EnerNOC comes to Japan (September 17, 2012)

Business trend:

EnerNOC of the U.S. starts developing the market of demand response in Japan in alliance with Marubeni. The two companies measure power consumption of companies and plants and install smart meters to provide the system called demand response. EnerNOC operates the power saving system using its the server in the U.S., and Marubeni markets the service to Japanese companies. EnerNOC has a total of 12,000 customers worldwide and achieved power saving of 8 million kW equivalent to 8 nuclear power plants around the world. Marubeni will sell saved power it gets from its customers to electric power companies, and Marubeni and customers split the revenue.

As the first project in Japan, the two companies got an order from Kansai Electric Power and constructed a system to control power demand. They provided the system with control devices to about 10 buildings in the Kansai district for free. Hitachi and Toshiba are also in the middle of the substantiative experiment of their demand response systems. Because electric power companies maintain equipment to satisfy the peak demand, there is room to reduce the maintenance cost by decreasing power demand in peak time. 

 Demand response by EnerNOC

No. 133: Increasing the number of quick charging facilities for e-vehicles to 4,000 nationwide (September 6, 2012)

Business trend:

Nissan, Sumitomo Corp., and JX Nippon Oiland Energy ally to increase the number of quick charging facilities for e-vehicles to 4,000 by 2020. At present, there are 1,300 quick charging facilities in Japan. Because there are 40,000 gas stations in Japan, the industry source reckons increasing quick charging facilities to one tenth of gas stations in number will strongly stimulate the sales of e-vehicles. Japan Charge Network (JCN) financed by Nissan, Sumitomo Corp., Show Shell, and NEC will take the initiative in this project.

JCN has been offering free charging service to spread the rapid charging equipment, but it will make the service chargeable beginning in October. User can get quick charging for 420 yen each time using the special card issued by JCN. The cost to install quick charging equipment is between 4,000,000 and 5,000,000 yen. It needs 8 hours to charge an e-vehicle by a household outlet, while quick charger can finish charging in 30 minutes. The automobile industry estimates that 500,000 EVs can reduce CO2 emissions by 450,000 tons annually. The competition between hybrid car, fuel-cell electric car, and electric car is growing more intense, and no one can predict the future of the competition precisely.    

Looking for a quick charging location inside Tokyo

No. 132: Government offers subsidies to spread very small vehicles (August 15, 2012)

Business trend:

The Japanese government will offer subsidies to companies and local governments that introduce very small vehicles beginning in fiscal 2013. The small vehicle is defined as a vehicle smaller than the light car that has an engine displacement of 660 cc. It will select 100 projects that promote sightseeing and home visit medical care in three years and pay half of the purchase cost of very small vehicles, each of which is estimated to cost between 500,000 and 1,000,000 yen. The number of very small vehicles subject to the subsidization is estimated more than 3,000 units in three years.

Very small vehicles are mostly one- or two-seaters. They are for the elderly and sightseers. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,Transport and Tourism will establish a system to certify a very small vehicle as a vehicle that can be driven on the public road this autumn, and establish a new vehicle classification for very small vehicles in 2015. Toyota already launched Coms for 660,000 yen. Other automakers are expected to follow Toyota. The Japanese government’s initiative to promote an environment-conscious society will stimulate the auto industry.

Toyota unveils its very small car Coms. 

No. 131: Software to analyze the influence of electric appliances on environment (June 8, 2012)

Technology:

Toray and Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry (JEMAI) jointly developed software that enables users to analyze the influence of electric appliances on environment through the Internet. Toray’s T-E2A and JEMAI’s Multiple Interface Life Cycle Assessment (MiLCA) will be integrated to be a new software program. It will be available both in Japanese and English. You can download the software free in this website by the end of June, though the website is under construction now.  

It will help companies select raw materials and new production methods thoughtful of environment in new product development. It contains more than 3,000 kinds of data including emissions of carbon dioxide and those of contaminants per energy of raw materials. If you input the amount of a raw material to be used for a new product, you can analyze the raw material from such viewpoints as “Influence on global warming,” “Consumption of mineral resources and water resources,” “Toxic risk,” and “Production cost.”

You can also get information on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of such means of transport as truck and ship. For example, you can compare two cases: “A product produced an area inside Japan and shipped from there to Tokyo by truck” and “A product produced in China and shipped from China to Tokyo by ship.” Leading companies in such industries as auto, material, and electric appliance analyze the influence of their products on environment by themselves, but some small and medium-sized companies generally are not as advanced as leading companies. This software will be of great help to such small and medium-sized companies. 

No. 130: Constructing a system to recycle electric vehicle batteries (May 13, 2012)

Business trend:

Nissan Motor and Sumitomo Corp. will collaborate to recycle electric vehicle batteries. In September 2010, the two companies jointly founded 4R Energy with a capital of 450 million yen, of which Nissan paid 51% and Sumitomo 49%, that is currently conducting research on the performance of electric vehicle batteries. The two companies will increase the capital of 4R Energy on the current ratio to let it start the battery recycling business. It will be four to five years later that 4R Energy actually purchases used-up electric vehicle batteries.

An electric vehicle battery is nearly 2 million yen that accounts for nearly half of the price of an electric vehicle. Because a used-up vehicle battery can be used as an emergency power source of household, the three companies wish to construct a system to recycle electric vehicle batteries for further spread of electric vehicles. During the four to five years, 4R Energy will construct a network for collecting used-up batteries and accumulate know-how on their appraisal. 

No. 129: The Japanese government takes the initiative in building ocean liners powered by natural gas (May 11, 2012)

Business trend:

The Japanese government decided to subsidize domestic shipping and shipbuilding companies and carry out the plan to build ocean liners powered by natural gas in 2015. A natural gas-powered ship emits 25% less carbon dioxide and 40% less nitrogen oxide than a heavy oil-powered ship, and it does not emit any sulfur oxide at all. Although Norway uses small coasting liner powered by natural gas, Japan will supposedly be the first country that introduces natural gas-powered ocean liners like oil tankers for the first time in the world. The Japanese government wishes to increase the competitive edge of the Japanese shipbuilding industry in the world market.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,Transport and Tourism will recruit participating companies toward this summer to start the research on necessary technological development. The research team will study necessary technology for fuel tank and gas supply equipment and conduct simulation on steering. Beginning in 2013, it will subsidize part of the shipbuilding cost. A natural gas-powered ship costs 20% more than a heavy oil-powered ship, and it is supposed to cost more than 10 billion yen to build an ocean liner with a load capacity of more than 200,000 tons. The Japanese government will issue a draft report on safety criteria using the technological research results and submit it to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) with a view to effecting the amendments of the relevant treaties by 2016. IMO wishes to reduce emissions from newly built ships by 30% by 2025.   

  

An ocean liner owned by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines

No. 128: Japanese general contractors are busily developing the concept of a zero energy building (May 10, 2012)

Business trend:

The net zero energy building, or zero energy building (ZEB) for short, gets supplied with electricity from an electric power company, but it generates and stores electricity by itself to reduce purchase volume considerably. Because it can sell surplus electricity to an electric power company, the procurement volume of power comes out even.

Shimizu developed a design method to reduce energy consumption to virtually zero through self-support of electricity by employing windows with high heat insulating properties and utilizing natural ventilation. The company got an order from a religious institution for a low-rise office building for about 5 billion yen. The office building is scheduled to be completed in March 2013. This building will supposedly be the first ZEB in Japan. In addition to using LED illuminations and insulated windows, the company will introduce the latest building energy management system (BEMS) for full utilization of the electricity stored in battery.

Obayashi is developing a technology to construct a ZEB that conserves energy using earth thermal whose temperature remains the same throughout the year. Takenaka has been developing the idea of carbon-minus building that supplies surplus energy to other buildings. Toda plans to construct a ZEB by 2020. It costs 30-40% higher to construct a ZBE than a standard building. Shimizu is constructing its head office building in Tokyo that reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 60%.

In 2009, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry laid down a policy that newly buildings be a ZEB by 2030, and plans to appropriate a budget for subsidies to construct a building closed to a ZEB. The construction industry is busily occupied with the development of ZEB concepts because ZEBs are supposed to grow widespread in 2020. 

 

State-of-the-art technology from Shimizu for reducing CO2 emissions

No. 127: The smart appliance market is expected to grow fast in a few years (May 2, 2012)

Business trend of the smart house market (8/8)

Smart appliances

Electric appliances with the mechanism to optimize power consumption automatically in coordination with smart grids and smart meters are called smart appliances. Generally, they have such functions as utilizing night power effectively and controlling power consumption when the total power consumption of the power grid exceeds a certain level. It will supposedly not take long for smart appliance to start spreading gradually because of the spread of smart meters, ever-increasing energy cost, and improved interface with smart grids. It is generally expected that smart appliance shipments will exceed 24 million units in 2017.

The smart meter seems to be the key to the spread of smart appliances. It is the next-generation power meter that allows for interactive information exchange on power consumption wirelessly or by optical fiber. The power meter is up to now a device that the electric power company checks periodically for charging electric bill, but the next-generation smart meter gives consumers information on power consumption in real time for power saving. Consumers can optimize their efforts for energy-saving by communicating with the controller that manages energy consumption inside the smart house.

Tokyo Electric Power Company plans to replace the power meter of 17 million households, about 60% of all households to which it supplies power, with smart meters by 2018. Western companies are ahead of Japanese companies, but Toshiba and Fuji Electric are energetically chasing them. Toshiba acquired Landis+Gyr that is a leading smart meter maker in Switzerland and Fuji Electric is collaborating with GE of the U.S. 

Smart life proposed by Panasonic