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Can microgrids help Japan meet its energy needs?

For over a decade an energy revolution has been underway in Japan, spurred on by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. Since then, microgrids have sprung up in their dozens around the country, in a number of different guises to help Japan meet its energy needs and build resilience.

When did microgrids start in Japan?

The first microgrids in Japan were New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization-financed projects initiated in Aichi, Kyoto and Hachinohe in 2003. A variety of energy sources were tested, in particular gas engines, and their success was demonstrated in the years that followed.

Is there a community microgrid in Japan?

In addition to the Smart City Shinoasahiya Solar-Shima project other community microgrids in Japan are already up and running, DeWit noted. One is on Miyako Island, which took a direct hit from Typhoon 18 two weeks ago, knocking out power to 80 percent of the island’s households.

Should Japan invest in microgrids?

Japan’s Ministry of Lands, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has started a ‘Dam Revitalisation’ project that aims to bolster the country’s dam network as well as increase power from it.” For Japan to move forwards towards greater energy independence, resilience and lower emissions, microgrids appear a clear choice.

Why are microgrid systems becoming more popular in Japan?

The success of projects such as Higashi Matsushima eco city has increased the popularity of microgrid systems in Japan. In August 2017, the Cabinet Office announced it would be increasing National Resilience Programme funding by 24%, as of April 2018.

Can Japan use small-scale microgrids in other countries?

“Japanese expertize in small-scale microgrids can be applied in other countries,” says President Gouzu of Pacific Power Co., Ltd. Mutsuzawa Smart Wellness Town came into the limelight in September 2019, when one of the most powerful typhoons on record made landfall in Chiba Prefecture and triggered a widespread power failure.