Green: The Color of Money

Here's what one of The Japan Times writers reports about the future of "smart" cities:


Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011


'Smart city' projects revived by disasters


By HIROKO NAKATA
Staff writer
Ever since the March 11 disasters exposed the nation's dependence on conventional power sources and infrastructure, energy-efficient "smart city" projects have drawn increasing attention.

So far Japan has bucked the global trend toward smart cities, which take advantage of IT-controlled power grids and renewable energy. But the quake and the subsequent nuclear crisis have persuaded policy-makers and businesses to kick-start the construction of communities that can use multiple energy sources, experts say.

"The sense of need changed after March 11," said Teruyoshi Takesue, an analyst specializing in advanced technology at Nomura Research Institute Ltd.

"Before March 11, the reason to build the cities was unclear," he said. "But after that day, the central and local governments strongly felt the necessity to tackle the issue as a step to protect the infrastructure from natural disasters."

The outlook for related business is bullish as well, experts say.

According to marketing and consulting firm Fuji Keizai Co., the domestic market for related devices is expected to grow more than five-fold from 2010 to 2020, reaching ¥491.3 billion.

The devices include smart meters that send data to utilities for monitoring power consumption and billing, and power conditioners that can improve the quality of the electricity.

The market for electric and other fuel-efficient cars will grow even further — more than 40 times to ¥599.5 billion in the same year, it said in a recent report.

"Wave" of the Future

Here's good news about renewable energy from Kyodo News. Imagine the power of 36 nuclear reactors, without any nuclear risk! What could be better for a country surrounded by the sea?

Wave power excites as next energy source
Kyodo

With fear over nuclear power running high and concerns mounting over global warming, ocean waves have been attracting attention as a source of natural energy.

Researchers have estimated that ocean waves could produce around the same amount of electricity for Japan as 36 nuclear reactors, but the development costs would be high and there are still many technological challenges before putting waves into practical use alongside solar power.