Smart World: News from Japan on Renewable Energy, Healthcare, and ICT

2015/07/12

The "Solar Mesh"system by Orel in Tokyo is providing detailed data of solar radiation at 150 thousand different places in Japan.

The number is of 200 times more observation points than data from the governmental company NEDO.

President Mr. Yamamoto founded this one-man corporation in 2007, after working for a weather information company.

Now he is looking forward to the satellite Himawari 8 which will start operation in this July.
The new orbiter sends weather image every 2 and half minutes, as compared to 30 minutes of the current Himawari 7.

The shorter interval enables Yamamoto to obtain more real-time forecast, which solar power supply companies will take advantage of.

http://www.sankei.com/premium/news/150712/prm1507120002-n1.html
http://www.orel.co.jp/

2015/07/05

Panasonic to Bring Hydrogen Generator Home

Panasonic aims to put home hydrogen generator into use by 2030.
It will utilize niobium-based nitride catalyst, which the company has developed, to effectively decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen.
The decompose panel is to be installed on house roof, like today's photo-voltaic module.

http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLASDZ03I0B_T00C15A7TI1000/

2015/07/04

METI to Keep Solar Bubble under Control

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) intends to drastically reconsider the current FiT scheme because solar production today much excels geothermal and hydro to left Japan's energy mix unbalanced.

http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLASFS24H3U_U5A620C1EE8000/

Sharp's "New Generation" Solar to Be Backed for Commercial Production

New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) recently adopted Sharp's cutting-edge solar module for one of its subsidizing projects, which are conducted for the purpose of making solar generation cost 7 JPY per kWh by 2030.

The so-called "new-generation type" of photo-voltaic module was co-developed by Sharp, Toyota Technological Institute, and others in 2014, which also had been a NEDO project.

The module has the "back contact" structure, which disposes electrodes on the back side of the cell in order to get rid of "shadow loss" or loss of electricity caused by shadow on the surface. Hetero conjugation technology enables this behind-the-panel structure.

http://www.itmedia.co.jp/smartjapan/articles/1506/29/news051.html

2015/06/29

University of Tokyo Developed Print Technology to Make Electric Circuit on Fabric

http://www.nikkan.co.jp/news/nkx0320150626eaad.html
http://www.jst.go.jp/pr/announce/20150625/

Solar Impulse 2 Restarted Around-the-World Voyage

A solar-propelled airplane Solar Impulse 2 resumed its around-the-world travel on 29th in Nagoya heading for Hawaii, after a month of staying in Japan because of bad weather.

http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASH6X7WS8H6XOIPE015.html

2015/06/23

NEDO's Project to Make Solar for 7 JPY per kWh

In early June this year NEDO, or New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, commenced a new project which aims to solar generation cost for only 7 JPY per kWh by 2030.

For the fiscal year 2015, NEDO has so far adopted 22 projects such as "Advanced Compound-type of Silicon Panel" by Tokuyama, Crystal System and others.

http://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_100393.html
http://www.itmedia.co.jp/smartjapan/articles/1506/22/news001.html

Solar Frontier Plans to Sell Bendable Solar Panel in 2018

Solar Frontier, an affiliate company of Showa Shell Sekiyu, is planning to sell bendable solar module in 2018.

The new panel which is made of sophisticated film is thiner and lighter than current products.
Also, its efficiency rate is as high as about 13%.

http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLZO88346940R20C15A6TJC000/

Softbank to Start Solar Business in India

Masayoshi Son, chairman of the Internet giant Softbank, hold a press conference in New Delhi on 22nd and said that his company would start solar business in India.

Softbank will launch a limited liability company with Taiwanese Hon Hai and other telecommunications companies.

The new company is to invest 20 billion USD in coming ten years and to construct several MW-class stations of 20 million kWh in total.

http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGKKZO88393490T20C15A6FFE000/

2015/06/20

Honda Sells Electricity to Family Restaurants

The car manufacturer Honda cooperates with Tonden, a company of franchise-style family restaurants, over electricity generated in Honda's factory in Yorii town of Saitama prefecture.

Tonden buys all the electricity generated by the factory's 2.6MW solar via a PPS (Power Producer and Supplier) company. Also, it will install at dozens of its restaurants electric chargers for Honda's EV.

Honda is also planning to start selling FCV (fuel cell vehicles) in March 2016.

http://newswitch.jp/p/1006

Eurus Energy Started Operation of 33.5MW Solar on Awaji Island

http://www.photon.info/photon_news_detail_en.photon?id=93883
http://eurus-energy.com/en/press/index.php?id=166
http://eurus-energy.com/en/press/index.php?id=145

1.7MW Solar Roof over Carport in Chosei, Chiba

Kokko Shisetsu Kogyo in Tokyo, together with its affiliate company Kokko Energy Service, has recently started generating electricity by 1.7MW solar.

The PV panels were installed as the roof over carport of an electronics company in Chosei village of Chiba prefecture.

The annual generation is estimated to be 1.7 million kWh, or 470 household's consumption per year, all of which Kokko will sell to power companies.

According to Kokko, the station is the first case of over-1MW solar over carport in Japan.
The solar roof helps to prevent cars from overheat in summer time, thus second effects from this are also expected.

Kokko is planning to construct similar solar roofs: 10MW in total by the end of the fiscal year 2015.

http://www.itmedia.co.jp/smartjapan/articles/1506/17/news046.html

IoT Polo Shirt for Tennis and Golf Players

The necktie brand FORTUNA Tokyo developed "IoT polo shirt," which measures pulse rate and fatigue level of those who wear it.
Sensors are attached inside the sleeve part and they transmit data to smartphone application.
The company assumes that tennis and golf players would buy the shirt.

http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2015/06/17/216/

2015/06/15

JOGMEC Uses In-Air Electromagnetic Method to Find Geothermal in Tohoku

JOGMEC, or Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, will investigate 1,050 square kilometers of two areas in Tohoku up from the sky to find potential sites for geothermal power plant.

A measurement equipment "Electromagnetic Loop" suspended by helicopter enables to investigate electric composition under the ground, that helps to find hot water and steam 500 meters at maximum down in earth.

http://www.itmedia.co.jp/smartjapan/articles/1506/12/news040.html