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News Letter

Vol.14
JGA Newsletter
Headline
SOLAMO for Existing Detached Houses Released to the Market

On October 10, 2010, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. released a new series of SOLAMO*1 solar-assisted gas water heating systems that use roof-top solar heat collectors for hot water supply and space heating. While the earlier models of SOLAMO systems were designed only for collective residences and newly-built detached houses, the new series can be installed on existing detached houses. Many houses in metropolitan areas of Japan have only a limited space on the rooftop or in the garden. The new series of SOLAMO systems is expected to facilitate the use of solar heat assisted systems by a wider range of energy consumers.

The new series differs from the conventional type in the following three points:
(1) The capacity of hot water tanks was downsized to 90 L from 140 L to 200 L of conventional models.

(2) The new systems allow the flexible combination of 1 m2 size and 2 m2 size solar heat collectors. Depending on the hot water demand and rooftop configuration, these can be combined to obtain a total panel area of 2 m2, 3 m2 or 4 m2.

(3) The capability of the pumps for delivering heat collected in the hot water tank was enhanced, thus enabling installation on the roof of a three-storey house, which is impossible with the conventional type.

The new systems enable an average household of four persons to procure about 22% of the hot water for hot water supply and space heating from solar heat. When each SOLAMO system is combined with ECO-JOEZ, a highly efficient condensing boiler, the annual gas consumption and CO2 emissions can each be reduced by about 32% (approx. 533 kg-CO2/year).
The installation of SOLAMO is assisted by grants from the Ministry of the Environment and local governments. Moreover, SOLAMO is expected to be covered in the next fiscal year by the "eco-point" incentive system for housing*2. Such extensive support to promote installation is expected to accelerate the deployment of these solar heat assisted natural gas systems.

*1: "SOLAMO" is a registered trademark of Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. SOLAMO is an active solar heat assisted gas water heating system comprising solar heat collectors, hot water tank and gas water heater. When the heat from the solar heat collectors is not sufficient, the gas water heater operates to support water heating.

*2: The Comprehensive Emergency Economic Measures in Response to the Yen's Appreciation and Deflation, sanctioned by the cabinet on October 8, 2010, include a plan to expand the coverage of the eco-point incentive system for housing. The commodities proposed for the expanded coverage include solar heat systems for residential houses, water-saving toilet systems and highly insulated hot tubs.

International Conference
Tokyo International Conference for a Sustainable Future

On November 1, the Tokyo International Conference for a Sustainable Future 2010 was held at the Tokyo International Forum. In this conference, JGA organized a panel discussion titled "Reducing CO2 Emissions from the Transport Sector by Using Natural Gas Trucks." The panelists included Shigeru Muraki (Chairman of the Natural Gas Vehicle Deployment Committee at JGA and Representative Director, Executive Vice President, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.), Shuji Ikeguchi (Senior Vice Minister at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism), and Toshinobu Kanaya (Professor at the Graduate School of Keio University). The topics included the national government's strategies for addressing issues in the transport sector, examples of decarbonization initiatives by leading-edge transport companies, and initiatives for reducing CO2emissions by using natural gas vehicles that have become increasingly popular in some countries in recent years. The main theme was the transformation of transport industries to create a low-carbon society.
In the conference, under the theme "Toward the realization of a sustainable society," keynote speeches were made by Ryu Matsumoto (Minister of the Environment), Richard Jones (Deputy Executive Director of IEA) and others. In addition, Marianne Fay (Chief Economist of the Sustainable Development Network at the World Bank) delivered a speech titled "Creating the Basis for Green Growth" and referred to the contents of the World Development Report 2010.

JGA News
First Seminar on the SUZUCHU Cool Kitchen Systems

On September 9, the Japan Gas Energy Promotion Council (commonly known as COLLABO) *1 organized the first seminar on SUZUCHU cool kitchen systems at the Hyatt Regency Osaka.
SUZUCHU is a brand name*2 used for a broad range of commercial gas kitchen appliances with features that prevent the ambient temperature from rising during cooking. We encourage the use of such gas cooking systems that improve the work environment in kitchens and safety level.

The advantages of SUZUCHU systems include the following:
By producing a better work environment, they help prevent the improper use of appliances and accidents such as burns.

Thanks to lower temperatures on the surfaces of appliances, spills and cooking oil residues are unlikely to scorch. This makes cleaning easier and improves safety because scorched cooking oil and other debris may catch fire.

The design that prevents the kitchen temperature from rising helps lower the cost for air conditioning, saves energy and reduces CO2 emissions.

At the seminar
At the seminar
The seminar was attended by about 240 persons from gas utilities, gas appliance manufacturers, etc. Representatives from the city gas utility described the situation to the marketing of gas appliances for commercial kitchens and gave examples of the use of SUZUCHU systems. The seminar provided an opportunity for exchanging information on the marketing of gas appliances for commercial kitchens and called for mutual cooperation in encouraging the use of SUZUCHU systems.

*1: This organization, jointly formed by city gas utilities, LPG providers and other stakeholders, makes policy suggestions, disseminates information and submits proposals for purposes such as expanding the use of highly efficient gas water heaters and safety enhanced gas cooking stoves, informing energy consumers of how they can use gas more intelligently and how they can practice energy conservation, and making arrangements for mutual support and coordinated actions in emergencies such as earthquakes. The Japan Gas Association hosts the secretariat of this organization.

*2: "SUZUCHU" is a registered trademark of Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. Conventional gas cooking appliances tend to increase the kitchen temperature due to high surface temperatures and also by exhaust. With SUZUCHU systems, the heat radiation is sustained by an insulating layer of air and a centralized exhaust system keeps the kitchen free of exhaust gases.


Commencement of the Injection of Biogas into a City Gas Distribution Pipeline

On October 12, Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. began a full-scale demonstration project in which sludge-derived biogas from a sewage treatment plant of Kobe City was refined to meet the high criteria for city gas and then fed into city gas distribution pipelines.
Biogas, which is a combustible gas composed mainly of methane generated by the fermentation of organic matter in sewage sludge, food residue, etc., is a renewable energy which is expected to increase. Even though there have been cases in which biogas was delivered to city gas production facilities for use as feedstock, this is the first case in Japan to inject biogas directly into the city gas distribution pipelines.
The annual quantity of biogas fed into the city gas distribution pipelines in this project is expected to be about 0.8 million m3 (at 45 MJ/m3), which is equivalent to the annual consumption of gas at about 2,000 households. This is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 1,200t-CO2 annually *1.
These initiatives will boost the effective use of biomass resources and help create a low-carbon recycling society.

*1: The annual reduction of CO2 emissions is calculated under the following assumptions.

- The annual quantity of biogas fed into the city gas distribution pipeline is assumed to be approximately 0.8 million m3 (at 45 MJ/m3). The average monthly gas consumption per household is assumed to be 33 m3 (= average monthly consumption in five years from April 2001 to the end of March 2006).

- The reduction in CO2 emissions is calculated by multiplying 0.8 million m3 (the annual quantity of biogas fed into the distribution pipeline at the calorific value of 45 MJ/m3 as an alternative to city gas) by 2.29 kg-CO2/m3 as the emission intensity associated with city gas (converted to 45 MJ/m3) and then subtracting the quantity of CO2 emissions associated with the power for advanced refining and the requirement of LPG for calorific value adjustment.


Report on the City Gas Sales in the First Half of FY 2010 (from April to September)

The total domestic gas sales in the first half of FY2010 (the total of 211 gas utilities in Japan) was 16,571 million m3 (41.8605 MJ/m3 equivalent), up 8.3% from the previous fiscal year. The total domestic gas sales in the first half of the fiscal year grew from the previous year for the first time in two years (since fiscal 2008).

By sector:
- Gas sales in the residential sector grew by 3.0% from the first half of the previous year mainly due to the increase of gas demand for hot water supply caused by the countrywide colder climate from March to May, compared with the last year. (Gas sales in the residential sector in the first half of the fiscal year grew from the previous year for the first time in four years, namely, since fiscal 2006.)

- Gas sales in the industrial sector grew by 11.0% from the first half of the previous fiscal year principally due to more industrial activities. (The gas sales in the industrial sector in the first half of the fiscal year grew from the previous year for the first time in two years, namely, since fiscal 2008. However, the sales volume is still 4.3% down from fiscal 2008.)

- Gas sales in the commercial sector and the miscellaneous sector (hospitals, public facilities, etc.) grew by 5.0% and 13.2% respectively from the same period of the previous year due to causes such as increased use of air conditioners because of the hot summer. (Gas sales in the commercial sector in the first half of the fiscal year grew from the previous year for the first time in three years, namely, since fiscal 2007. Gas sales in the miscellaneous sector in the first half of the fiscal year grew from the previous year for two consecutive years since fiscal 2009.)

By region:
The regional gas sales grew by the following percentages from the first half of the previous fiscal year: up 11.9% in Hokkaido, up 11.7% in Tohoku, up 7.6% in Kanto-Koshinetsu, up 11.8% in Chubu-Hokuriku, up 7.7% in Kinki, up 10.4% in Chugoku, up 9.5% in Shikoku, and up 5.8% in Kyushu-Okinawa.

The total number of customers has amounted to 28,812 thousand, which is 0.5% up from the same month of the previous year.


Gas Facts in Japan 2010

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The Japan Gas Association
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Tokyo 105-0003, Japan
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