Search

As the global energy landscape transitions towards a more sustainable future, hydrogen has emerged as a promising energy carrier due to its potential to decarbonize various sectors. However, the economic competitiveness of hydrogen production by water electrolysis strongly depends on renewable energy source (RES) availability. Thus, it is necessary to overcome the challenges related to the intermittent nature of RESs. This paper presents a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of complementing green hydrogen production with grid electricity. An evaluation model for the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) is proposed, considering both CO2 emissions and the influence of RES fluctuations on electrolyzers. A minimum load restriction is required to avoid crossover gas. Moreover, a new operation strategy is developed for hydrogen production plants to determine optimal bidding in the grid electricity market to minimize the LCOH. We evaluate the feasibility of the proposed approach with a case study based on data from the Kyushu area in Japan. The results show that the proposed method can reduce the LCOH by 11% to 33%, and increase hydrogen productivity by 86% to 140%, without significantly increasing CO2 emission levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing importance of renewable energy worldwide, the argument that forest biomass power generation is not carbon neutral has been rising. This research used Gifu Biomass Power Co., Ltd. (GBP) in Japan as a case study to investigate this matter. An evaluation was conducted through an input–output analysis on the economic and environmental benefits (i.e., CO2 reduction) of forest biomass power generation without assuming carbon neutrality. GBP's economic benefits were estimated to be 3452.18 million JPY during the construction period and 114.38 million JPY per year from operations. It was also estimated to generate 21.77 jobs per year in the forestry sector. CO2 emissions were estimated to increase by 423.02 tons during the construction period and 137,747 tons per year from operations. Although forests may offset CO2 by absorbing it, woody biomass power generation does not necessarily reduce CO2 emissions in Gifu Prefecture. The results indicate that woody biomass power generation is effective for the local economy but not necessarily for the global environment. The analysis should include more industrial sectors to clarify the environmental significance of wood biomass power generation without assuming carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading is gaining attention as a technology to effectively handle already existing distributed energy resources (DER). In order to manage a large number of DER, it is necessary to increase the number of P2P energy trading participants. For that, designing incentives for participants to engage in P2P energy trading is important. This paper describes a user-centric cooperative mechanism that enhances user participation in P2P energy trading. The key components of this incentive for participants to engage in P2P energy trading are described and evaluated in this study. The goal of the proposal is to make it possible to conduct economic transactions while reflecting the preferences of the traders in the ordering process, making it possible to conduct transactions with minimal effort. As a case study, the Higashi-Fuji demonstration experiment conducted in Japan verified the proposed mechanism. In this experiment, 19 households and 9 plugin hybrid vehicles (PHV) were evaluated. As a result, the study confirmed that prosumers were able to sell their surplus electricity, and consumers were able to preferentially purchase renewable energy when it was available. In addition, those trades were made economically. All trades were made automatically, and this efficiency allowed the users to continue using the P2P energy trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of regulations for the development of renewable energy facilities is one of the key environmental conservation strategies being implemented in Japan. However, regulations are only applied if the degree of environmental degradation falls below the "reference point." Thus, impacts of project development that are remarkably limited to scenic values of landscapes are largely overseen in Japan. On the other hand, establishing standards for the "reference point" is challenging, and existing scientific approaches and legal frameworks for conserving "daily landscapes" are largely absent. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a set of standards for "reference points" or indicators to classify landscape inventories, particularly those with scenic values. This study explored the potential of development-compensated implementation in Japan by scrutinizing relevant compensation measures in other countries. The results revealed that adding the aesthetic degradation of landscapes as an object in development compensation is challenging, as its value is difficult to monetize. Further, the evaluation of landscape degradation may be insufficient. Hence, there is a need for objective-driven indicators and methods that measure landscape degradation, particularly the effect of renewable energy facilities on the scenic values of "daily landscapes." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There was an unprecedented growth of SHP (small hydropower) in Japan during recent years because the government has provided a high FIT (USD 0.32/kWh) for SHP development projects of less than 200 kW. The public and private sectors are committed to harnessing this natural energy to achieve the renewable energy goal as well as to improve local communities social and economic conditions. This paper will discuss about renewable energy initiatives by a food corporation enterprise (FCOOP) based in Fukuoka prefecture of Japan to reduce their net carbon emissions. A detailed approach for social enterprises-based SHP development has been discussed which will be a role model concept for other social enterprises in Japan and in the world that are willing to reduce CO2 emissions. Also, this kind of project connects urban stake holders with local community where resources are available and it leads to development of the local community living standards. As a demonstrated example, a case study of a 20 kW SHP installed in Japan by a FCOOP has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the relationship between renewable energies and the electric power spot price of the Japan Electric Power Exchange (JEPX). By using panel data analysis and proxy modeling, this work attempts to estimate how renewable energies (displayed through the proxies) and other factors influence the electric power spot price in Japan. Based on an analysis of the estimations, some policy implications have been proposed, such as to incorporate weather information into the price forecast, or to provide a guide to more effectively transact on the JEPX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind power has been increasingly deployed in the last decade to decarbonize the electricity sector. Wind power output changes intermittently depending on weather conditions. In electrical power systems with high shares of variable renewable energy sources, such as wind power, system operators aim to respond flexibly to fluctuations in output. Here, we investigated very short-term fluctuations, short-term fluctuations (STFs), and long-term fluctuations (LTFs) in wind power output by analyzing historical output data for two northern and one southern balancing areas in Japan. We found a relationship between STFs and the average LTFs. The percentiles of the STFs in each month are approximated by linear functions of the monthly average LTFs. Furthermore, the absolute value of the slope of this function decreases with wind power capacity in the balancing area. The LTFs reflect the trend in wind power output. The results indicate that the flexibility required for power systems can be estimated based on wind power predictions. This finding could facilitate the design of the balancing market in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]