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Paper can be reused to efficiently manage biomass consumption, meaning that it has potential as an environmentally friendly material. On the other hand, because of high energy usage during the recycling process and transportation inefficiencies, there is a call for the development of technologies that can mitigate this environmental burden. This study evaluated, from a lifecycle perspective, a new technology that can collect and recycle paper within the office. This technology can reduce by over 90% the amount of water used compared with the conventional recycled paper that is pulped and bleached once by the dry process. It also eliminates transportation from paper collection facilities to recycling factories, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This new technology is already in use in Japan, and analyses by user data indicate that evaluation results differ greatly depending on the utilization rate of the machine. In the future, environmental information should be shared by both users and manufacturers, so that users could increase their utilization rate, and manufacturers could develop alternative bonding agents in order to further reduce the total environmental burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the world population growth, energy consumption and the rapid development of industrial economy, a large amount of carbon emissions has brought destruction and threats to the earth's environment on which human beings depend. The development of low-carbon economy has become the consensus of governments all over the world and has been vigorously advocated & promoted. This paper focuses on the top five global GDP nations in 2022: The United States, China, Japan, Germany, and Britain. A comprehensive evaluation index system of urban low-carbon economic development level is constructed from four dimensions: economic development level, environmental quality, energy consumption emission intensity and social development speed by using literature review and field interview. The evaluation measures are determined using the TOPSIS evaluation method with entropy weight and the grey relational model, providing a comprehensive assessment of the low-carbon economy's development level in these five countries." Judging from the comprehensive evaluation score, the overall development of low-carbon economy in American cities is in good condition and has reached the development standard of low-carbon economy; Germany and Japan rank second and third, and they are low-carbon economies. Britain ranks fourth in comprehensive evaluation, although it belongs to a low-carbon economy country, but there is still a certain gap with Germany and Japan; There is still a big gap between China and the other four countries. Based on the measurement and evaluation outcomes, it presents recommendations and strategies to foster the growth of low-carbon economies, offering valuable insights for the advancement of such economies across different nations. The research results guide countries all over the world to reduce carbon emissions in the process of economic development, protect the earth environment on which human beings depend, and make a better tomorrow for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With regard to environmental degradation in Japan, the world's third-largest economy, limited studies have been performed to illustrate the ecological aspects of the country's core and recent economic policies such as globalization, technological innovation, and renewable energy usage policies. Given this motivation, this research reveals a new perspective on the connection between CO2 emissions and GDP growth, renewable energy, technological innovation and globalization in Japan by employing wavelet statistical tools. The paper employs series of wavelet tools for datasets covering the period from 1990Q1 to 2015Q4. The empirical outcomes demonstrate proof of the interaction between renewable energy use, economic growth, technological innovation, globalization and CO2 emissions in both time and frequency. The empirical results of the wavelet analyses reveal that globalization, GDP growth, and technological innovation increase CO2 emissions in Japan, while renewable energy usage mitigates CO2 in the short and medium terms. The results demonstrate the significance of implementing policies effectively coordinated by the policymakers to curb the significant environmental degradation in Japan. Moreover, Japan should actively support renewable energy development and create a more competitive climate for investment in the renewable energy market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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• Decoupling of GDP from all energy sources under multiple principles are examined. • World economy achieved weak energy decoupling in most years during 2000–2011. • World economy coupled with coal use and tended to couple with cleaner energy use. • None of studied economies achieved long-term GDP-embodied energy decoupling. • Decoupling delusions occurred when only considering direct and total energy use. Decoupling indicators are widely used to understand links between economic growth and energy use. However, traditional decoupling analyses mostly focus on domestic energy consumption (i.e., the production-based principle) and neglect off-site energy use across global supply chains to satisfy an economy's final consumption (i.e., the consumption-based principle). Moreover, analyses for total primary energy conceal an economy's preference for different energy sources. Therefore, this paper evaluates decoupling states of GDP from all types of primary energy use under consumption-based principle, for world economy and eight typical economies during 2000–2011. Regarding total primary energy, world economy witnessed weak decoupling in most years, and most economies studied (e.g., USA, Japan and China) achieved decoupling initially but performed negative decoupling finally. For EU, USA, Japan, Russia and India, production-based decoupling performances were generally better than consumption-based ones. Decoupling phenomena detected under production-based principle even became coupling or negative decoupling under consumption-based principle in some cases. As for each energy source, world economy decoupled from oil use, but still coupled with coal use, and gradually showed a trend to couple with natural gas and renewables use. Different energy sources showed distinct decoupling degrees from GDP, affected by individual embodied energy requirement structure. This paper uncovers potential energy decoupling delusions to deepen the understanding of relationships between energy use and economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Science Policy & Practice is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Using annual data from 1970 to 2014, this paper examines the effects of globalization on CO2 emissions in Japan while accounting for economic growth and energy consumption as potential determinants of carbon emissions. The structural breaks and asymmetries arising due to policy shifts require attention, and hence, an asymmetric threshold version of the ARDL model is utilized. The results show the presence of threshold asymmetric cointegration between variables. Threshold-based positive and negative shocks arising from globalization increase carbon emissions, while the impact of the latter is more profound. Energy consumption (economic growth) also has a significant positive effect on carbon emissions. Globalization, economic growth, and energy consumption significantly increase carbon emissions in the short run. We suggest that policy makers in Japan consider globalization and energy consumption as policy tools in formulating their policies regarding protecting sustainable environmental quality in the long run. Otherwise, the Japanese economy may continue to face environmental consequences such as undesirable climate change and massive warming at the micro and macro levels as a result of potential shocks arising from globalization and energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The equipment energy efficiency improvement policy (EEEIP) is one of the important measures of energy conservation and emission reduction in various countries. However, due to the simultaneous implementation of variety policies, the effect of the single policy cannot be clearly reflected. In this paper, a method of identification and evaluation of EEEIP was proposed, and the application was verified by analyzing the example of EEEIP in Japan (Top Runner policy, TRP). Firstly, through the factor decomposition model, this paper studied the energy conservation and emission reduction potential of this policy area in Japan. Then, the TRP was identified by using moving windows and correlation analysis, and the impact of specific equipment in TRP was analyzed. Finally, through the calculation of the rebound effect of the carbon footprint (REC), this paper analyzed the energy consumption and emission reduction effects of TRP in the short-term and whole life cycle. It showed that the policy has a good effect in tertiary industry and transportation, while the effect in residential is poor. For life cycle, the TRP of air conditioning and passenger car can bring better CO2 emission reduction effect, but the emission reduction effect of lighting is basically offset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of tax reforms to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has become increasingly popular. Nevertheless before prescribing these measures, they should be subject to a cost-benefit analysis. This paper evaluates the effects, in Spain, of a rise in the excise duties on energy to a level equal to the average of the EU-15. To this end, a complete demand model, comprising four energy products and fourteen nonenergy products, is estimated. The results indicate that such a reform, despite the fact that it would reduce CO2 emissions by 11 million tons per year, would produce efficiency costs of 15.88¢ for each euro collected, causing households an average annual welfare loss of 228€. Moreover, the progressivity and redistributive capacity of Spanish indirect taxation would be also reduced. As a result, the private welfare loss arising from the reform would be approximately four times greater than its estimated social benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan's energy consumption in 2018 was about 2.5 times that in 1975, with the increase in the household sector being the largest at 28%. Most of primary energy is still fossil fuel, and it is urgent to reduce energy consumption in the household sector. The purpose of this paper was to identify ways to reduce household energy consumption without compromising the quality of life in residence. However, the reduction methods vary by region, building specifications, household type, equipment specifications, season, and weather. The value of this paper is based on a systematic analysis of home energy management systems (HEMS) data from about 50,000 households under various conditions. We are analyzing ways to reduce energy consumption. Few studies have analyzed this much back-up data, which is likely to lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions across the household sector. To explore ways to reduce energy consumption in this sector, the company has introduced and provided services for home energy management systems (HEMS) since 2011 and is currently collecting HEMS data for up to 50,000 households. In order to grasp the actual state of energy consumption in each household, HEMS data are systematically analyzed, necessary conditions for energy reduction and self-sufficiency rate (SSR) improvement are analyzed, and energy consumption under certain conditions is estimated using storage batteries (SB) and heat pump water heaters (HPWH). In addition, energy consumption was investigated by actual measurement and simulation for several hundred households. Since power generation and consumption vary greatly depending on the region, building specifications, household type, equipment specifications, season, weather, etc., it is necessary to analyze these factors systematically. As a conclusion, in order to improve SSR, it is necessary to (1) reduce surplus power consumption and energy consumption of heat pump water heaters (HPWHs), (2) increase solar power generation, and (3) increase the size of SB. This study contributes to the spread of advanced housing and the reduction of CO2 emissions in the household sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Operating time of SMEs is estimated using a SOM and hourly demand data. • The estimated operating time is used for hourly AC demand disaggregation. • The average errors of yearly AC demand estimation are better than 10%. • Hourly disaggregation highlights season and time period of AC demand peaks. Despite the growing penetration of smart meters and energy management systems in recent years, few tools have been proposed for energy demand data analysis and visualization to promote energy conservation in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In this paper, we propose a new method consisting of operating time estimation and simplified disaggregation based only on the SME's hourly electricity demand data and actual outdoor temperature data. The method first estimates the operating time using a self-organizing map, which categorizes the hourly data as operating, half-operating, or non-operating time and eliminates manual parameter adjustment that requires user trial and error. Then, using the estimated operating time, our simplified disaggregation method estimates hourly air conditioning (AC) demand considering the variation in each office's temperature at which air conditioners are switched on. The method was evaluated using a public business energy management system dataset from Japan, and the average errors of yearly AC demand estimation were better than 10%. The outputs of the proposed method may provide information that is more relevant, reliable, and specific to each customer and efficiently promote energy conservation measures in SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Densely built areas with poor thermal insulation suffer from high thermal environmental risks and generally consume high energy in summer. Determining the relationship between density and energy consumption is necessary, particularly when implementing urban heat island (UHI) countermeasures. This study evaluated the effects of density and UHI countermeasures on the energy consumption and indoor thermal comfort of a detached house in a typical densely built wooden house area in Yokohama City, Japan. Three densities and six countermeasures were considered. Annual hourly simulations based on the SCIENCE-Vent thermal environment simulation model yielded the following results: in densely built wooden house areas, the energy consumption and thermal discomfort increased with density. The green roof yielded the largest energy savings in the cooling and heating seasons, demonstrating the highest annual energy savings with 5.7%. Density had little impact on rooftop countermeasures, but the effect of the high-reflectance walls increased with density, and the reduction in annual energy consumption (air conditioning and lighting) is 2.6%, 3.0%, 3.6% in 37%, 47%, and 59% density cases, respectively. The impact of thermal countermeasures on indoor thermal comfort varied according to the thermal control mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The steelmaking industry in Japan has significantly reduced its energy use for the past several decades and has kept the highest energy efficiency in the world. However, the steelmaking industry is strongly required to develop new technologies for further energy conservation in view of energy security, high and volatile energy prices, and climate change. One of the key technologies to achieve the requirement is waste heat recovery. This paper describes the thermoelectric generation (TEG) system using the waste heat in the steelmaking process. In this system, the TEG unit, which consists of 16 thermoelectric modules made of Bi-Te thermoelectric materials, generates the electrical power directly by converting the radiant heat released from hot steel products. Each thermoelectric module, whose size is 50 mm × 50 mm × 4.2 mm, generates 18 W when the hot-side temperature is 523 K and the cold-side is 303 K. Therefore, the output of the TEG unit is over 250 W. The performance and the durability of the system have been investigated under various operating conditions in steel works. The results of the verification tests in the JFE steel Corporation's continuous casting line will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, a hybrid intelligent system is proposed for designing a contract model of the weather derivatives between energy utilities. In recent years, the weather conditions often bring about uncertainties on profits to companies that are related to weather conditions. As a result, they require a strategy to equalize the profits and avoid unexpected deficits. To satisfy the requirements, weather derivatives are developed to the companies. They may be expressed as the function of the weather conditions such as the average, the maximum temperature, etc. So far, a lot of the derivatives have been developed, but it is not clear how to design them due to the nondisclosure on practical knowledge. In this paper, an efficient method is presented to determine a contract model of weather derivatives. As the first stage, this paper focuses on the normal data. A reasonable model is constructed by the learning process for the normal data. This paper formulates the contract model as a two-phased problem. Phase 1 carries out data clustering of curves to extract the normal data with DA (Deterministic Annealing) of global clustering technique. Phase 2 optimizes the parameters of the model that equalizes the payoffs between two companies in a sense that the mean and the variance of the payoff are equalized for both companies with EPSO (Evolutionary Particle Swarm Optimization) of meta- heuristics. The proposed method is successfully applied to the real data in Tokyo, Japan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study examines the economics of energy-efficiency strategies for reducing CO2 emissions in the residential sector in Japan from the perspective of regional characteristics. For this study, the residential sector in Iwate prefecture was selected as representative of rural areas in Japan. In order to promote purchases of energy-efficient consumer appliances, the prefectural government is presumed to reimburse purchasers a part of the cost difference between energy efficient and conventional appliances. This paper begins with a discussion of the prefecture’s financial support for purchasers of energy efficient appliances and assumes that the payments come from prefectural government funds. This paper then looks at the effect of a carbon-tax refund on the reduction of CO2 emissions. The results show that, if half of the households use energy-efficient appliances, then CO2 emissions in the residential sector in the year 2020 will decreases from the BAU scenario, 0.726Mt-C to 0.674Mt-C. However, the Iwate prefectural government expends $105 million annually, which is 1.5% of the total tax revenue in the year 2003. The carbon-tax refund effectively encourages further reductions in CO2 emissions. Under the $20/tC carbon tax, proposed by the Ministry of the Environment, the carbon-tax refund leads to a reduction in residential CO2 emissions from 0.726Mt-C to 0.712Mt-C. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vacuum circuit breakers (VCBs) have been developed and widely applied in Japan to meet the requirements of increasing energy consumption and also in national security of various areas. As a result, for example, a 168 kV two break porcelain type and a 100 kA one break VCB have already appeared in the Japanese market and they are currently being exported to world-wide markets. VCBs interrupt currents in vacuum, and this means they do not exhaust dissolved gases which are sometimes harmful to the human body or cause effects on the environment. Therefore, by its nature, the recycling of materials and safety to the human body have been realized, and also no global warming effects would be expected. Energy is extremely essential and important in human daily life, and many types of circuit breakers play important roles in electrical power transmission and distribution systems to maintain the systems reliability and safety by switching the systems under several conditions. Since vacuum circuit breakers possess a lot of advantages such as high current interrupting capabilities, small size, and Low cost, they will be used much more in the future, and at this moment, we believe it is very worthy to discuss and consider thoroughly future trends of VCBs. In this paper, the results of the developments in Japan will be reviewed, the reflection of the results will be stated, and the subjects of engineering in the 21st century will be discussed. These will include recycling, safeguards to the human body and the fireless nature of VCBs; and it will be demonstrated that the developmental works of VCBs are being wonderfully explored in Japan now and in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many studies have estimated the energy saving potential of office equipment power management, there is no recent study about the energy saving potential of shortening the power management delay time. In this paper, we estimated the energy saving potential of the complete saturation of power management, and also the additional energy saving potential of shortening the power management delay time for PCs, displays, copiers, and laser printers in Japanese offices. To obtain key data, we conducted the surveys and field measurements of usage in business hours and the turn-off rate at night. We found that office equipment power management can save as much as 3.5 TWh per year, which is nearly equal to 2% of commercial electricity consumption in Japan. We also found that the energy use of office equipment in Japanese offices with no use of power management is even lower than that in US offices with maximum use of power management. This is primarily because the portable computer is much more popular in Japan, and also because the manual-off rate at night is more than twice that in the US. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper measures the effects of information on residential demand for electricity, using data from a Japanese experiment. In the experiment, households had a continuous-display, electricity use monitoring device installed at their residence. The monitor was designed so that each consumer could easily look at graphs and tables associated, with the consumer's own usage of electricity at any time during the experiment. The panel data were used to estimate a random effects model of electricity and count data models of monitor usage. The results indicate that monitor usage contributed to energy conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to estimate the costs and CO 2 emissions of wood biomass co-firing in the Tohoku region of Japan. A woody biomass supply system is designed, which comprises of four processes: collection, resource transportation, preprocessing, and fuel transportation. Preprocessing is further divided into two processes: drying and fuel production. Sawmill residue, construction waste, forest residue, thinning residue, and fruit-tree pruning residue are treated as raw materials. Wood chips, pellets, and torrefied pellets (known as black pellets) are regarded as bio-fuels. The raw-material and bio-fuel transportation pathways are optimized using a geographical information system (GIS). In the Tohoku area, the availability of raw-material is 3.6 PJ/y, and the results indicate that the preprocessing plant locations should be widely distributed in that region, because the resource transportation costs have a significantly greater influence on the costs and emissions than the scale effect of the preprocessing facilities. The chip production case exhibits the smallest energy consumption of 3.8 GJ/t, the lowest supply cost of 1558 JPY/GJ, and the largest CO 2 reduction of 252 × 10 3 t CO 2 /y, whereas the pellet production case exhibits a supply cost and CO 2 reduction of 1643 JPY/GJ and 229 × 10 3 t CO 2 /y, respectively. The energy consumption, energy waste, and cost of torrefaction are greater than the reductions in the transportation energy and cost due to wider distribution of the preprocessing plants; thus, the black pellet case has a larger supply cost than the chip and pellet cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the progress of efficient energy use and the control of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Japan between 1990 and 2012. A new indicator of energy performance is presented called environmental energy efficiency (EEE). The EEE of manufacturing industries was measured by each prefecture in Japan. We estimated the influencing factors of EEE for each industry by applying the pooled mean group (PMG) method. Our findings are as follows: First, the Japanese manufacturing industry has not been in line with the EEE improvement goals since the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol. However, the progress of each industry was relatively consistent by region. Second, EEE tends to improve and then deteriorate or monotonically increase as economic development progresses. Third, EEE is raised by expanding industry share. Finally, EEE, which focuses on energy reduction, is likely to increase with the progress of energy-saving technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan is regarded as an interesting source for drawing useful lessons that could help in drafting the process for transforming the Polish energy mix. The reason is very simple: the two countries have relatively similar starting points. A large proportion of the Japanese energy mix is still based on fossil fuels. We can already observe a slow but evident drift away from fossil fuels (from some 85% in 2013 to less than 75% in 2019). Another reason why Japan is relevant to the Polish conditions is the recent decision of the new government in Japan to return to nuclear energy after the Fukushima disaster. Other interesting solutions in the Japanese way forward include the wide use of hydrogen and ammonia; that could be interesting for Poland, because it is a major producer of hydrogen: the fifth in the world and the third in Europe. Grey hydrogen is currently produced, but that could easily be transformed into green hydrogen produced using distributed solar installations. It also seems that nobody in Poland is seriously working on the use of ammonia in the energy sector. Those reasons alone would be enough to choose Japan as the country for the analysis presented below, therefore the literature review is limited to the Japanese sphere. A short historical view of the energy-mix configuration is followed by an enumeration of the important aspects to consider for Polish conditions: energy security and energy efficiency, followed by an analysis of important sources of energy: nuclear, renewable energy sources (RES), hydrogen, and ammonia as well as thermal power development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on data of the manufacturing sector of China and Japan from 2003 to 2016, this paper attempts to measure the progresses in energy-biased technology and energy efficiency by constructing a threshold panel regression model with variables including foreign direct investment (FDI) and energy consumption structure to explain energy efficiency using energy-biased technology as the key explaining variable. The estimation indicates significant differences in the energy efficiency of China's and Japan's manufacturing industries. In general, Japan's total energy efficiency is higher than China's. The industry with more intensive technology has higher energy efficiency which rises much faster. The paper finds that the energy efficiency of China's manufacturing sector shows an upward trend in general, while Japan's fluctuates more, showing two peaks and two troughs. Our empirical results show that there is a threshold value of progress in energy-biased technology; below this, progress in energy-biased technology will have a positive effect on energy efficiency and beyond it, the effect will be negative. Since this effect is not one-way, we define it as a 'double-edged effect'. It is estimated that the level of energy-biased technology progress of most manufacturing industries in China is below the threshold value, indicating that the technology progress in China's manufacturing sector has not been excessively biased towards energy consumption, and the impact on energy efficiency is still positive. The China-Japan comparison shows that the threshold value for Japan's manufacturing sector is significantly lower than that for China's, indicating a marginal effect on the 'double-edged effect': The threshold value will decrease when energy efficiency reaches a certain level. Therefore, it is necessary to offset these negative externalities from technological progress with other factors such as by increasing FDI and improving energy consumption structure. • This paper examines the influence of energy-biased technological progress alone on energy efficiency. • It proves the influence of energy-biased technological progress on energy efficiency to be nonlinear. • It measures the energy-biased technological progress and energy efficiency of some industries of the manufacturing sector of China and Japan. • It proves the rebound effect to be conditional in the manufacturing sector of China and Japan. • It also proves the threshold effect in the influence of energy-biased technological progress on energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests cover two-thirds of Japan's land area, and woody biomass is attracting attention as one of the most promising renewable energy sources in the country. The Feed-in Tariff (FIT) Act came into effect in 2012, and since then, woody biomass power generation has spread rapidly. Gasification power generation, which can generate electricity on a relatively small scale, has attracted a lot of attention. However, the technical issues of this technology remain poorly defined. This paper aims to clarify the problems of woody biomass gasification power generation in Japan, specifically on the challenges of improving energy utilization rate, the problem of controlling the moisture content, and the different performance of power generation facilities that uses different tree species. We also describe the technological development of a 2 MW updraft reactor for gasification and bio-oil coproduction to improve the energy utilization rate. The lower heating value of bio-oil, which was obtained in the experiment, was found to be about 70% of A-fuel oil. Among the results, the importance of controlling the moisture content of wood chips is identified from the measurement evaluation of a 0.36 MW-scale downdraft gasifier's actual operation. We discuss the effects of tree species variation and ash on gasification power generation based on the results of pyrolysis analysis, industry analysis for each tree species. These results indicate the necessity of building a system specifically suited to Japan's climate and forestry industry to allow woody biomass gasification power generation to become widespread in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 emissions associated with hydrogen production can be reduced replacing steam methane reforming with electrolysis using renewable electricity with a trade-off of increasing energy consumption, water consumption and cost. In this research, a linear programming optimization model of a hydrogen production system that considers simultaneously energy consumption, water consumption, CO2 emissions and cost on a cradle-to-gate basis was developed. The model was used to evaluate the impact of CO2 intensity on the optimum design of a hydrogen production system for Japan considering different stakeholders' priorities. Hydrogen is produced using steam methane reforming and electrolysis. Electricity sources include grid, wind, solar photovoltaic, geothermal and hydro. Independent of the stakeholders' priorities, steam methane reforming dominates hydrogen production for cradle-to-gate CO2 intensities larger than 9 kg CO2/kg H2, while electrolysis using renewable electricity dominates for lower cradle-to-gate CO2 intensities. Reducing the cradle-to-gate CO2 intensity increases energy consumption, water consumption and specific cost of hydrogen production. For a cradle-to-gate CO2 intensity of 0 kg CO2/kg H2, the specific cost of hydrogen production varies between 8.81 and 13.6 USD/kg H2; higher than the specific cost of hydrogen production targeted by the Japanese government in 2030 of 30 JPY/Nm3, 3.19 USD/kg H2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing accounts for 37% of the global energy demand. Few researchers have conducted a holistic energy assessment of factories where energy beyond production equipment is accounted for, and environmental impact assessments of machine tool manufacturing are even more limited. All the while, factories need to understand where energy is used, how to allocate it to their products, and where savings lie. This paper quantifies the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of a machine tool manufacturer located in Iga, Japan. Six plants within the factory are investigated whose primary operations range from precision machining to product assembly. Furthermore, a model of the energy consumption of each plant's HVAC system is developed and used to evaluate the environmental impacts and operating costs at alternative sites in China, Germany, and the US. Location was found to have a significant influence on the environmental impacts and resulted in changes in the annual energy consumption relative to the Iga baseline that ranged from −10% to 8%. Additionally, opportunities for improvement were identified by comparing the energy intensities of the equipment within the plants to industrial averages. Since the plants in this study use widespread manufacturing processes and varied climates were investigated, the methods and strategies that were developed can be extended to other discrete manufacturing facilities to identify opportunities for cleaner production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel review and laboratory test results of four standard test methods for determining the energy consumption of microprocessor controlled gas tankless water heaters. The test standards examined are from Australia, Europe, Japan and North America. The European test standard is found to be technically the most comprehensive in measuring all aspects of energy consumption for these types of appliances. Four water heaters, both conventional and condensing type, ranging in capacity from 28 to 55kW are tested to each of the test standards. The European and North American tests deliver similar results. Those to the Australian standard yield higher energy use while the Japanese method produces the lowest consumption. The relative difference in energy use between water heater models tested to any single standard is consistent, with the exception that the Australian test appears to favour the smaller water heater. Therefore, while consumers cannot use standard test results to calculate their actual running costs, in general, any of the standards will reasonably predict relative running cost differences between models if used as part of the product selection process. While the correlation between the standards varies according to the capacity of the water heater, a simple approximation is developed to convert from the efficiency measured by one standard to another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Windows are among building components that have the strongest effect on thermal load. They play a significant role in heat loss in buildings because they usually have a largely higher thermal conductance than other components of the building envelope. Although many studies have highlighted the relevance of heat transfer through frames and aimed to improve their thermal performance, poorly insulated aluminum frames (thermal conductivity of aluminum is 160 W/m·K, while that of polyvinyl chloride [PVC] is 0.17 W/m·K) are still in use in Japan. Therefore, the U-values of different window frames were calculated, and annual thermal loads were calculated according to the window configurations, including the frame, glazing, and cavity. We focused on standard residential buildings in Japan with a total floor area of 120.6 m2 (two-story building), and the number of newly built houses and the application rate of window configurations in 2019 were surveyed to estimate the CO2 emissions by regions. CO2 emissions were reduced by approximately 3.98–6.58% with the application of PVC frames. Furthermore, CO2 emissions were converted into the amount of CO2 gas absorbed by cedar trees, which cover nearly 18% of the total land area of Japan. In conclusion, analogous to the amount of CO2 gas absorbed by cedar trees, the absorption effect was equivalent to 327,743–564,416 cedar trees. Changing the window frame material can facilitate a significant energy-saving effect as a considerable amount of energy is saved, especially at a city scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents the results of careful considerations on the surface facilities at one of the most promising CCS (Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage) candidate sites in Japan in regards to process, economy and energy consumption. This site has been selected to demonstrate the feasibility of CCS total system in which CO2 is captured from natural gas processing plants, transported to the injection site (100 km away from the plants), and then stored in the saline aquifers underneath the seabed of the Japan Sea. Four technical issues have been reviewed for the surface facilities, namely CO2 transportation, removal of impurities in the CO2 gas, the liquefied CO2 heater models and the shaft seal system for CO2 pumps. As for the CO2 transportation method, tanker trucks transportation is selected compared to pipelines because of the merits in a construction period, economy, and local citizen’s understanding and acceptance which are crucial for the realization of the project. Concerning process building, removal of impurities contained in the CO2 gas has been considered first. CO2 gas separated from natural gas contains hydrogen sulfide, mercury, and BTX in addition to water. These impurities must be eliminated prior to liquefaction of CO2 because they could interfere with the process as well as for environmental considerations. The adsorption method is found to be effective for removing all these impurities. However, it is also found that adsorbent consumption rate depends largely on the process sequence with which the impurities are eliminated. After reviewing the results, it is found that the most economical sequence to eliminate these impurities is in the order of mercury, hydrogen sulfide, BTX, then water. Liquefied CO2 heater models have been considered to reduce CO2 emission. After transportation to the injection site, the liquefied CO2 is pressurized and heated from −10 °C to a super critical state of 40 °C in order to avoid phase transition inside the injection tube. Using a heat pump to utilize the heat in the air to improve the energy efficiency, CO2 emission is substantially reduced by approximately 70% compared to the conventional method using hot water from a boiler that uses heavy fuel oil. A centrifugal pump will be selected for CO2 pumps because it can handle large volumes. An effective shaft seal system is the tandem formation using vapor-liquid seal and dry gas seal for the first and the second stages respectively. However, since we have limited experience of this formation at CO2 pumps in Japan, it is identified as a critical item in the demonstration project. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents a societal level exergy analysis approach developed to analyse transitions in the way that energy is supplied and contributes to economic growth in the UK, the US, Austria and Japan, throughout the last century. We assess changes in exergy and useful work consumption, energy efficiency and related GDP intensity measures of each economy. The novel data provided elucidate certain characteristics of divergence and commonality in the energy transitions studied. The results indicate that in each country the processes of industrialization, urbanisation and electrification are characterised by a marked increase in exergy and useful work supplies and per capita intensities. There is a common and continuous decrease in the exergy intensity of GDP. Moreover for each country studied the trend of increasing useful work intensity of GDP reversed in the early 1970s coincident with the first oil crisis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A model is developed that simulates nationwide energy consumption of the residential sector by considering the diversity of household and building types. Since this model can simulate the energy consumption for each household and building category by dynamic energy use based on the schedule of the occupants’ activities and a heating and cooling load calculation model, various kinds of energy-saving policies can be evaluated with considerable accuracy. In addition, the average energy efficiency of major electric appliances used in the residential sector and the percentages of housing insulation levels of existing houses is predicted by the “stock transition model.” In this paper, energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the Japanese residential sector until 2025 are predicted. For example, as a business – as-usual (BAU) case, CO2 emissions will be reduced by 7% from the 1990 level. Also evaluated are mitigation measures such as the energy efficiency standard for home electric appliances, thermal insulation code, reduction of standby power, high-efficiency water heaters, energy-efficient behavior of occupants, and dissemination of photovoltaic panels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: China''s demand for energy has grown to fuel its rapidly expanding industrial, commercial and consumer sectors. At the same time, China has become the second largest consumer of petroleum products having surpassed Japan for the first time in 2003. The environmental consequences of a continuation of these trends will have global implications. Government policies and consumers have become more environmentally aware, but the ability of governments to formulate policies has been hindered by the lack of data on inter-factor and inter-fuel substitution possibilities. In this paper Allen partial elasticities of factor and energy substitution, and price elasticities of energy demand are calculated for China''s industrial economy using a two-stage translog cost function approach for the period 1995–2004. The results suggest that energy is substitutable with both capital and labor. Coal is significantly substitutable with electricity and slightly complementary with oil, while oil and electricity are slightly substitutable. China''s energy intensity is increasing during the study period and the major driver appears to be due to the increased use of energy-intensive technology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With the development of distributed generation (DG) technologies and the implementation of policies to encourage their applications, building combined heat and power (BCHP) is expected to play a greater role in the commercial buildings in the future. BCHP is a promising efficiency improvement and carbon mitigation strategy, but careful selection of technology and operation mode is required to achieve a reasonable system performance according to energy consumption characteristics of buildings and technical features of equipments. This paper analyzed energy consumption characteristics of four typical commercial buildings in Japan and simulated the energy system performances of four mostly widely adopted DG technologies under different operation mode conditions for the four buildings studied. Various scenarios were evaluated and compared regarding energy utilization efficiency, energy saving and environmental effects, as well as economic efficiency. Results show that the hotels and hospitals are more attractive for BCHP because of their stable thermal load demands and a favorable heat-to-power ratio, which is the most compatible match with available DG technologies. Furthermore, some DG technologies are more suitable for a certain type of building than others because of their technical features more matching with the building’s energy consumption characteristics, as well as the user’s motivation of selecting BCHP. In Japan, during selecting DG technologies, the prior order is gas turbines (GT), gas engines (GE), diesel engines (DE) and phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC) for the hotels, PAFC, GE and GT, DE for the hospitals, PAFC, DE, GE and GT for the stores, as well as DE, PAFC, GE and GT for the offices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Energy efficiency in the Japanese industry is one of the highest in the world. As a consequence, reduction of CO2 emissions is considered to be difficult and costly. However little attention has been paid as of yet to changes related to so-called non-energy use of fossil fuels. The analysis in this paper suggests that a large number of options exist for emission reduction in the Japanese petrochemical industry. This includes the introduction of biomass feedstocks, the introduction of new catalytic production processes, and changes in waste handling. The use of bioplastics and the use of CO2 feedstocks seem costly options for GHG emission reduction that should not be applied on the short term. Japanese GHG emissions can be reduced by 7.7% if the optimal set of emission mitigation options is applied. About 60 Mt emission reduction (4.9%) can be achieved by changes on the supply side, another 35 Mt emission reduction (2.8%) can be achieved by changes in waste management. While changes in waste management can be implemented before 2010, biomass introduction on the supply side will probably require a longer lead-time. About half of the emission reduction is cost–effective, but will require further technology development. The other half can be achieved at a cost level of 10,000 yen/t CO2 (80 US$/t CO2). The latter part is based on proven technology that is currently not cost–effective. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Energy from woody biomass is expected to revitalise industry in Japan and induce job creation in the region. Woody biomass power plants have been rapidly constructed all over the country after the Feed-in Tariff scheme began. However, there are increasing cases of the destruction of natural ecosystems and landscapes to fulfil the growing demand for woody biomass. This study aims to describe the ideal energy utilisation of woody biomass from the viewpoint of preserving natural ecosystems. First, a conceptual model for the positive and negative impact of woody biomass energy utilisation on the natural ecosystem was organised. Next, an online survey to collect information and data on woody biomass power plants and heat utilisation facilities in Japan was conducted. In addition, the positive and negative impacts of using woody biomass on economic, environmental, and social systems as well as ecosystems were discussed. An online survey showed that the annual fuel usage of the woody biomass and number of employees increase with the scale of the power plant. Although annual expenses also increase, this might be a positive impact, because it can contribute to the economy and employment of the region based on the increase in the production value. In contrast, a negative impact is that some woody biomass power plants import biomass fuel. Importing the biomass fuel is reasonable from the viewpoint of fuel supply cost reduction and stable supply. However, there might be negative impact on the local natural ecosystem when the woody biomass is not appropriately utilised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing optimal control systems for vehicles that consider the effect of road slopes use a cost function with fixed weights related to speed deviation, regardless of driving states on slopes. As a result, gravitational potential energy is not efficiently exploited and braking at down-slopes (which wastes energy) becomes unavoidable. Thus, there is still significant scope to improve fuel saving behavior on slopes. To address this opportunity, in this paper, we present a dynamic eco-driving system (EDS) for a (host) vehicle based on model predictive control (MPC) with fuzzy-tuned weights, which helps efficiently utilize the gravitational potential energy. In the proposed EDS, we formulate a nonlinear optimization problem with an appropriate prediction horizon and an objective function based on the factors affecting vehicle fuel consumption. The objective function's weight is tuned via fuzzy inference techniques using information of the vehicle's instantaneous velocity and the road slope angle. By considering the vehicle longitudinal dynamics, preceding vehicle's state, and road slope information (obtained from the digital road map), the optimization generates velocity trajectories for the host vehicle that minimizes fuel consumption and CO 2 emission. We also investigate the traffic flow performance of following vehicles (behind the host vehicle) in dense traffic; this was not considered in existing works on hilly roads. The effectiveness of the proposed EDS is evaluated using microscopic traffic simulations on a real road stretch in Fukuoka City, Japan, and the results demonstrate that the fuzzy-tuned MPC EDS significantly reduces fuel consumption and CO 2 emission of the host vehicle compared to the traditional driving (human-based) system (TDS) for the same travel time. In dense traffic, the fuel consumption and CO 2 emission of following vehicles are noticeably reduced. • A fast fuzzy-tuned MPC framework is developed for eco-driving on hilly roads. • A dynamically tunable cost function is introduced to optimize the use of gravity. • The framework is tested in dense traffic using data of a road in Fukuoka, Japan. • The controlled and following cars show improved fuel consumption and CO 2 emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• GHG reduction target should be planned by aggregating effects of concrete measures. • A bottom-up energy use simulation can be used as a reliable policymaking tool. • An operation-based approach should be adopted for policymaking. • Technology distribution is important since the effects differ by household type. • Distribution of water heaters and heating systems must be considered together. The national policy in Japan for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the residential sector by 2030 is evaluated using a bottom-up-type simulation model called the Total Residential End-use Energy Simulation (TREES) model. According to the Japanese Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures (PGWC), the target GHG reduction in the residential sector is expected to be realized through the aggregated effect of various mitigation measures. In evaluating the impact of these measures, the following three factors must be considered: occupant behavior, differences in the effect among households, and secondary impacts. In this paper, to discuss the required specifications for supporting the policies related to GHG reduction, these factors are examined via the TREES model, considering the differences in the energy use among households due to occupant behavior, appliance/equipment ownership, and building energy efficiency. The simulation results of the end-use energy in the Japanese residential sector in 2013 show good agreement with available statistical values. The results of the TREES model applied to evaluate the proposed countermeasures suggest that 1) The Japanese government may be overestimating the effect of high-efficiency lighting installations, 2) The reduction in the total energy use varies by a factor of two depending on the combination of high-efficiency water heaters and household characteristics, 3) The relationship between the types of water heater and space heating system influences the effect of high-efficiency water heater installations, and 4) Energy demand reduction affects the electricity load curve and CO 2 emission intensity of the electricity grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Environmental and economic performances of multi energy system(MES) was evaluated. • The operation models of MES cause the difference of environmental performance. • System environmental performance also affected by the CO 2 emission coefficient. • The price of equipment and energy mainly affect the economic performance of MES. Due to the improvement of people's living standards, uptake of multi-functional household appliances, electricity consumption accounts for a rising ratio in the proportion of primary energy usage. Currently, electricity accounts for more than 50% of primary energy usage and city gas is about 21% of total. The aim of this research focus on improving the efficiency of household energy usage and optimizing the economy of residential energy systems. This paper classified the detail electricity consumption and generation for a Japan typical household with Hybrid Fuel cell and Photovoltaic System (HFPS) based on the history monitored data. Then a simulation model of the Hybrid Heat pump and Photovoltaic System (HHPS) was designed under the same user load for analyzing the energy consumption. Finally, the economy of the two systems is compared and optimized by considering the carbon tax, equipment price and energy price fluctuation. In general, by comparing the environmental and economic performances of both two systems, the results showed that HFPS has a better environmental performance than HHPS, but HHPS presented an economic advantage over HFPS. In addition, with the change of equipment price and the development trend of energy price in the future, the economic performance of HFPS is gradually improved, which is better than HHPS and has more development prospects. The results of this work provide policy guidance for the future Japanese government's promotion of residential fuel cell systems, while choosing the optimal path between user energy characteristics and power contract scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Today in Japan, comfortable lifestyle and environment realized by abundant electric power is being questioned by energy consumption reduction policies called"cool biz" in summer, and "warm biz" in winter. One reason of these policies is the bad energy consumption efficiency of current air-conditioning systems that cool or warm indirectly human body. Several researches have been investigating the effect of direct human body cooling and warming. However, most proposed solutions focus on direct head or neck cooling, using ice to cool a water circulating system, such temperature during use cannot be controlled accurately nor adapted to user and environment conditions. Recently, a Japanese research team developed a portable system using Peltier elements that can both cool and warm neck. Though cooling was demonstrated to affect positively both physiological and psychological state in summer heat environment, in cold climate it could be confirmed for only neck warming but not feet and hands. In our objective of developing effective energy saving technology for direct temperature-conditioning of human body, and in order to reduce the discomfort caused by body chillness, we have proposed and developed a Peltier element based wrist-mounted wearable device that directly warms human body. A first experimental study showed how wrist warming rhythm affects hyperthermic sensation. Then, we verified whether the thermal sensation of the body, including the extremities, is improved by changing the position where the wrist is warmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on Japan's nuclear power capabilities. Twenty three nuclear power plants produce 15.6 million kilowatts of electricity in Japan. Due to the growing energy consumption, the Japanese government has embarked on a crash program for nuclear power under which nuclear power would supply 30 percent of Japan's total electricity by the year 2000. Many nuclear fuel reprocessing plants and fast breeder test reactors are being set up. However, an obstacle to the program is public opposition for concern about safety procedures of some nuclear plants. Nuclear waste disposal seems to be another concern.

This paper measures the metafrontier total-factor energy efficiency (TFEE) of 47 regions in Japan for the period 1996-2008, using the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). The two-step output-oriented SFA approach by Huang et al. (J Prod Anal 42:241-254, 2014) is followed but converted into a two-step input-oriented SFA approach. The metafrontier TFEE is defined as a product of the group TFEE and the technological gap ratio (TGR). The mean group TFEE is smaller than the mean TGR for both the groups, which shows that the energy inefficiency in Japanese regions with respect to the metafrontier comes from primarily operating inefficiency, rather technology gap. The mean metafrontier TFEE of the metropolitan areas is smaller than that of rural areas, implying that the former is energy inefficient than the latter. The mean TGR of the metropolitan areas is also smaller than that of rural areas, implying that many Japanese regions with major cities are far below the metafrontier and still have much room for energy savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the future trends of energy demand in Japan accurately, it is necessary to clarify the factors that determine the fluctuations in energy demands across regions. Specifically, it is necessary to clarify whether the energy demand fluctuations across regions arise from compositional factors, that is, differences in energy users, or from regionally unique factors. Methods: This study analyzes the determinants of energy demand change to clarify the factors that have affected the fluctuations in regional energy demands in Japan, using dynamic shift-share analysis. Results: The results show that the energy demand fluctuations can be explained by compositional effects and regional effects. With regard to the compositional effects, the energy demand growth increased most remarkably in the regions that specialize in residential and commercial activities. However, energy demand did not increase in the regions that specialize in manufacturing activities. With respect to the regional effects, there were constraints on energy demand in big-city regions because of the improved energy intensity achieved through energy conservation. Conclusions: The results imply that having a mixture of industry and civil sector activities in a region potentially flattens out the fluctuations in energy demand changes. This finding suggests that when moderating the change of regional energy demand, it is important to diversify the industrial structure in each region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the sensitivities of surface air temperatures to anthropogenic heat (AH) were investigated in downtowns of the two Japanese major cities, Tokyo and Osaka. First, meteorological measurements were made with the simultaneous monitoring of electricity demand in a contrastive couple of a downtown commercial area (C-area) and a residential area (R-area) within each city in summer 2007. From the measurements, the areal-mean surface air temperatures were obtained as $$ {\overline{T}}_{\mathrm{C}} $$ and $$ {\overline{T}}_{\mathrm{R}} $$ for each of the C-area and R-area, respectively. Using the actual electricity demand and the estimated motor fuels consumption, their areal total was evaluated as the energy-consumption-basis AH. The estimated C-areas' AH indicated greater values up to 220 W/m on weekdays and remarkable decrease about by half on weekends, whereas that in the R-areas showed less values of 10-20 W/m stably. Then, $$ {\overline{T}}_{\mathrm{C}}-{\overline{T}}_{\mathrm{R}} $$ on calm and fine days were found to be systematically decreased from weekdays to weekends in both cities roughly indicating a proportional relationship with the reductions in the C-areas' AH on weekends. The result suggested a common afternoon sensitivity for both C-areas of around 1.0°C/100 W/m, which indicated an intensity of the AH impact on surface air temperature there. Next, to simulate the observed AH impact, the authors' CM-BEM (a multilayer urban canopy model coupled with a building energy model) was newly implemented in the mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting (WMF) model. This new system, WRF-CM-BEM, was applied to Tokyo and almost reasonably validated from the aspects of the reproducibility of urban surface air temperature and electricity demand in the observation areas. The simulations also suggested that WRF-CM-BEM underestimated the observed air temperature sensitivity to AH in the Tokyo C-area roughly by half but still in the same order of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric bidets have become widespread in Japan and are now rapidly being installed across the rest of Asia, the United States, and the European Union. However, the impact on water infrastructure has not yet been sufficiently evaluated. Using Japan as an example, we assess the impact of the spread of electric bidets on the existing water infrastructure and use the results to predict the impact in countries in which the spread of electric bidets is expected in the future. In this study, we first proposed a model of electric bidet use on the basis of the results of a questionnaire survey. In Japan, the frequency of electric bidet use is considered to be the same as that of toilet use, and this model is used by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in its official evaluation of equipment performance. However, in this survey, we found that 30–40% of respondents did not use electric bidets, even though they have become commonplace in Japan. The reason for this was a vague sense of anxiety about sanitation. Based on the results of the survey, the model for electric bidet use was set to once a day for men for flushing following defecation and once a day for women for either flushing following defecation or bidet flushing. This is considerably less frequent than the conventional Japanese electric bidet use model for women, which models for one flush following defecation and three flushes following urination. Japan's Energy Conservation Law requires improved energy efficiency in 32 items of equipment, of which the electric bidet is one. Because of this regulation, the electricity consumption of electric bidets has decreased by one fourth in the past 10 years. When a new model representing actual usage was applied, the environmental impact of the electric bidets currently sold was shown to be minimal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]