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News Letter

No.30
JGA Newsletter
Headline
Sales of Residential Fuel Cell ENE-FARM Surpass 150,000 Units

The ENE-FARM Partners, the organization to promote the ENE-FARM, a residential fuel cell, has announced the cumulative sales of ENE-FARM surpassed 150,000 units based on the decision to grant the subsidy in December 2015.

ENE-FARM is a new energy cogeneration system which simultaneously produces electricity and hot water at home as a distributed power source. The heat produced during power generation can be used for water heating, so energy is used very efficiently. What is more, as a distributed energy system, while cutting CO2 emissions and achieving high energy savings, ENE-FARM also boosts energy security, which is an increasingly important social need, and contributes to reducing peak power demand. After the market launch in May 2009, the ENE-FARM line has been expanded to including models using SOFCs (Solid Oxide Fuel Cells) which have higher generation efficiency than those using PEFCs (Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells), stand-alone units that continue operating during power outages, and models that can be installed in apartment building pipe shafts. The broad choice of types increases number of sales year after year.

In the "4th Strategic Energy Plan" adopted as a Cabinet resolution in April 2014, Japanese government focused on "the expansion of ENE-FARM" as one of the key actions to realize "the hydrogen energy society" and set targets for promoting ENE-FARM of 1.4 million units by 2020 and 5.3 million units (10% of all households) by 2030.

Japanese fuel cell manufacturers are actively expanding their business in Europe. For example, Panasonic started the distribution of residential fuel cell in Germany in April 2014. In the other European countries, the field tests are undergoing.

Toward achieving government's goals, Japan's gas industry will join together with ENE-FARM manufacturers, the housing industry and the energy industry in working for the further expansion of ENE-FARM.

◯Cumulative number of ENE-FARM units installed in Japan Cumulative number of ENE-FARM units installed in Japan
∗Source for the cumulative number of units installed from FY2009 to FY2014 is METI's calculation of the decision to grant the subsidy.
∗Source for the cumulative number of units installed in FY2015 is the Fuel Cell Association's calculation of the decision to grant the subsidy by Dec. 18 2015.



JGA News
The 9th Nationwide Family Cooking Contest

On January 24, the With Gas Club∗, in which JGA is a member, held "The 9th With Gas Nationwide Family Cooking Contest - Sharpening Your Five Senses by Cooking with Fire" at the Tokyo Gas showroom in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The contest is attracting more competitors each year, with a total of 50,037 teams this year, up from last year's record-high of 46,046 teams and exceeded 50 thousand of teams for the first time. The Tokyo final stage was contested by 14 teams of parent-child pairs, all winners of the regionals, in a heated and impressive match in which all teams presented the favorite dish of the family.

The main valuation bases were teamwork between parent and child, the taste of the dish, and the original idea that each family put into cooking. The Grand Prix was won by "Foods from my good hometown Niigata" by Team Horii. Among the other participants, some teams applied with using traditional foods and cooking methods. With participating in this contest, many teams learned an importance of local production for local consumption, local foods, and traditional dishes.


The With Gas Nationwide Family Cooking Contest offers participants an opportunity to learn cooking in a fun way and to casually experience Shokuiku, or food education. The Japan Gas Association is actively contributing to society through Shokuiku activities and by running campaigns to widely promote "Life with Gas" to families, in addition to supporting wider use of city gas.

∗The "With Gas Club" is a consortium established by four industries working with the living environment (housing companies, kitchen and bath manufacturers, gas equipment manufacturers, and LPG and city gas companies) to make proposals for better homes and life styles. The Club comprises the Japan Federation of Housing Organizations, Japan Association of Kitchen & Bath, Japan Industrial Association of Gas and Kerosene Appliances, and Collabo.
Foods from my good hometown Niigata by Team Horii Team Horii
"Foods from my good hometown Niigata"
by Team Horii
Team Horii



ENEX 2016/ Smart Energy Japan 2016

The ENEX (Energy and Environment Exhibition) / Smart Energy Japan 2016 were held for three days from January 27 at the Tokyo Big Sight. The ENEX / Smart Energy Japan consists of exhibitions of energy management, solutions for energy-saving, and smart energy system with utilizing ICT (information communication technology) which contribute to create an energy-efficient and low-carbon society. With the theme of "From Demand Side Management to Total Management", at the exhibition wide variety of energy-saving products are exhibited including energy management systems like BEMS and HEMS, along with smart meters, as well as photovoltaic and power storage systems for renewable power generation and storage.
The booth operated jointly by Tokyo Gas and Osaka Gas at ENEX / Smart Energy Japan 2016
The booth operated jointly by Tokyo Gas and Osaka
Gas at ENEX / Smart Energy Japan 2016

At the ENEX / Smart Energy Japan this year, the Japan Gas Association set up a booth jointly with Tokyo Gas and Osaka Gas to exhibit and present the gas industry's "smart solutions" with case examples of energy management systems.


City Gas Sales for the Full Year 2015 (Jan.-Dec.)

City Gas sales by Japanese gas utilities (206 utilities nationwide) in 2015 (January through December) were 36,774 million m3 (41.8605MJ/ m3 equivalent), down by 1.1% from 2014.

By sector:
- Year-by-year, residential sector sales decreased by 1.7% to 9,447 million m3, commercial sector sales decreased by 1.3% to 4,279 million m3, industrial sector sales decreased by 0.8% to 20,133 million m3, and other sector sales decreased by 1.1% to 2,913 million m3.

By region:
- The year-on-year changes in sales by region were as follows: Hokkaido +0.4%, Tohoku -0.4%, Kanto-Koshinetsu -0.1%, Tokai-Hokuriku -2.1%, Kinki -3.0%, Chugoku -2.1%, Shikoku +5.3%, and Kyushu-Okinawa -1.1%.



Information:
>>> Gas Facts in Japan 2015



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