Feed: Japan for Sustainability - AggScore: 83.3

Japan Predicting Drastic Cut of 50% or More to PV Generation Costs by 2030

Image by GIGASOLAR. Some Rights Reserved.

The Japanese government estimates the cost of photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems will decrease drastically over the next twenty years. At the third Energy and Environmental Council on November 8, 2011, hosted by the Minister of State for National Strategy, a group of experts commissioned as the Costs Validation Committee forecasted that technological innovations to enhance the energy efficiency and durability of the generation system would lead to lower costs of PV power generation.

Japanese Companies Developing Air-Conditioning Using Geothermal Heat

Gunma Electronics Co., a Japanese electronics manufacturer, is developing a geothermal heat pump system that harnesses renewable energy, in collaboration with Aqua-Reinetu Co., a Japanese company specializing in producing and installing heat pump systems.

Survey after the Great East Japan Earthquake Reveals Increased Trust in Self-Defense Forces and Individuals

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On August 26, 2011, NTT DATA SMIS Co., a marketing research and systems development company, announced the results of people's attitude survey after the Great East Japan Earthquake. The results showed a substantial increase in trust in both Japan's Self-Defense Forces and Japanese individuals.

Aeon Aims to Cut Electricity Use by 15% with LEDs

Aeon Retail Co., a major Japanese supermarket chain, announced on November 11, 2011, that it would start switching to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in spotlights and basic lighting systems at its 1,200 nationwide stores, including its national general chain store brands Aeon and MaxValu. The switch will first be made at stores in areas where there are concerns over electricity supply shortages this winter.

[Newsletter] Dragonfly Wing Design Pioneers the Future -- Development of the Micro Wind Turbine

JFS Newsletter No.113 (January 2012)
"JFS's 'Get Inspired by Nature' Project" (No. 4)

When I visited an exhibition about nature-based technology held in Tokyo in November 2011, I spotted a display featuring a micro-sized wind turbine with a diameter of only about 50 centimeters. It had four very thin plastic corrugated blades, and the center of its rotor was made from a plastic bottle. I saw that just by catching a slight breeze the blades were rotating, generating electricity, and illuminating the light-emitting diode (LED) lights connected to the generator.

NPO Nogakujuku and Sumida Ward Implement Joint Food and Agriculture Project

As part of its efforts in food education, Tokyo's Sumida Ward hosted the "Sumida Food Education Festival" from July 15 to 19, 2011. Waseda University students of the student-run NPO, Nogakujuku, participated in the festival as lecturers and held a workshop called "The Which Vegetable Show" focused on reassessing how to choose food ingredients and products after rumors following the nuclear accident in 2011 damaged the reputation of certain foods and food producers in Japan.

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Hokuto City Promoting Consumption of Local Food

Copyright Hokuto City

Hokuto City in Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture is strengthening efforts to increase consumption of locally grown and environment-friendly products. Its "eco hiiki" program (an original compound word meaning 'eco' and 'to prefer') was named in the hope that serving locally produced foods would also attract more tourists to Hokuto. The city also intends to make its local economy more sustainable by circulating resources locally, and hopes these activities would help the city become the most attractive rural city, with the happiest citizens, in Japan.

Mitsubishi Model Tops EPA's List of Fuel Efficient Electric Vehicles

Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. (MMNA) announced on November 17, 2011, that its North American-spec i-MiEV, an all-electric vehicle (EV) produced by Mitsubishi Motors, has been named the most fuel-efficient EV by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s 2012 Fuel Economy Guide. MMNA is responsible for manufacturing and marketing operations for Mitsubishi Motors in the United States.

Toshiba to Undertake Smart Energy Demonstration Project in Miyakojima

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Major Japanese electronic manufacturer Toshiba Corp. announced on October 27, 2011, that it had signed a contract with the city of Miyakojima after being selected to undertake system design for the "Miyakojima City Entire Island Energy Management System (EMS) Demonstration Project" and the "Miyakojima City Kurima Island Renewable Energy 100% Self-Supporting Demonstration Project," both part of the Smart Energy Island Infrastructure Development project sponsored by Okinawa Prefecture in fiscal year 2012. Miyakojima Island is in the Pacific Ocean about 300 kilometers southwest of Okinawa Main Island. It is a popular tourist destination known for its rich nature, history, coral reefs and white beaches.

FAMILYNET-JAPAN Provides HEMS for Eco-Conscious Model Town in Yokohama

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Copyright FAMILYNET-JAPAN CORPORATION

FAMILYNET-JAPAN CORPORATION (FNJ), an Internet service provider for condominiums, announced on October 31, 2011, that it would provide a Home Energy Management System (HEMS) to "Mina Garden Tookaichiba," where Yokohama City Housing Supply Corporation would sell 11 single-family houses. Its system connects the whole town to a network and introduces the "me-eco" service that makes energy consumption visible and encourages eco-friendly behavior. The construction of the town will be completed by the end of March 2012.

Various Innovations Enable Solar Power to be Installed in Condominium Buildings

Image by Japan for Sustainability

On August 29, 2011, Takara Leben Co., a Japanese real estate company, announced the completion and installation of the first solar power system in Japan for condominium buildings, with individual storage batteries that enable the sale of generated electricity. The system will be installed in their condominiums as needed. Six solar panels per condo supply 1.26 kilowatt of electricity produced by solar power.

Japan Maintains World's Highest PET Bottle Collection Rate in 2010

(Blue: Plastic production and Sales/Recycling rate of plastic bottles in Japan; Red: Sales/Recycling rate of plastic bottles in U.S.; Green: Sales/Recycling rate of plastic bottles in Europe)
Copyright Council for PET Bottle Recycling

On November 22, 2011, the Council for PET Bottle Recycling released the 2011 PET bottle recycling report. According to the report, Japan collected PET bottles at the rate of 72.1 percent in 2010, again higher than Europe (48.3 percent) and the US (29.1 percent).

City Project Tests Microbes to Maximize Decomposition of Organic Waste

Copyright Mitsuke City

The city of Mitsuke, Niigata Prefecture, in northwestern Japan, conducted a demonstration test to decompose organic waste through fermentation using microbes, from July 20 to August 31, 2011.

Toyota Home to Release Smart House, Collaboration between House and Vehicle

Copyright Toyota Housing Corporation

Toyota Housing Corporation (Toyota Home), a home builder in the Toyota Group that engages in car manufacturing, environmental business and information technology, announced on November 2, 2011, the release of "since asuie", an exclusive smart house that aims to realize the future home. The smart house incorporates Toyota's proprietary smart house technology, which allows the user to spend more time with their family, a popular trend since the 2011 earthquake. Toyota's smart house technology includes the nation's first attempt at energy collaboration between the home and vehicles.