Science & Technology News from Japan - International Relations

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Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft Confédération suisse Confederazione Svizzera Confederaziun svizra Embassy of Switzerland in Japan State Secretariat for Education and Research SER tions, roughly 2 percentage points higher than the company's own existing products and those of rivals. Higher efficiency means that carbon dioxide emissions will be lower than other facilities with equivalent power output. With the J-series turbine, power generation capacity is about 460,000kW in combined-cycle applications -- roughly 20% higher than conventional turbines can achieve. Further Development Of Condominium Fuel Cells Systems (March 14, 2009) Toshiba Corp. plans to commercialize Japan's first fuel cell system for condominium units. Toshiba's new condominium-use fuel cells are expected to weigh 150kg and measure about 1.5 meters in height. Sales efforts will likely focus on pitching the products to developers for installation while condominiums are still under construction. Development of the fuel cells is to be handled by Toshiba Fuel Cell Power Systems Corp. The Toshiba unit in Yokohama aims to use fewer components and 10-20% less platinum. The firm has already started working with chemical companies on development of new materials capable of boosting fuel cells' energy efficiency. Recession Causes Power Generation Drop (March 14, 2009) Domestic power generation dropped for a seventh straight month in February, falling 16% year on year as factories and businesses cut production because of the deepening recession. The 10 regional utilities reduced electricity output to 74.47 billion kWh last month, the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan said in a report. The economy contracted at the fastest pace since 1974 last quarter as exports, output and business spending collapsed. Improved Battery Technology Pushes Electric Bicycle Boom (March 14, 2009) Rising awareness of environmental issues has sparked a surge in the popularity of bicycles propelled by a combination of pedal power and electricity. Recent improvements in battery technology have also strengthened the market, with the current generation of electric bicycles traveling much further per charge than earlier models. From January to February this year, major manufacturers, such as Yamaha, Panasonic Cycle Technology Co., Sanyo Electric Co. and Bridgestone Cycle Co., have released a succession of more powerful models. Lithium-Ion Batteries For Machinery And Cars (March 15, 2009) Lithium-ion batteries are also taking over the world of power tools. Furukawa Battery Co. is developing a lessexpensive lithium-ion battery for industrial machinery and Toshiba Corp. had developed a powerful and safer lithium-ion battery for hybrid cars. Furukawa Battery has been performance-testing prototypes of a new, low-cost lithium-ion battery for industrial machinery. In February the prototypes reached a milestone of sorts: 2,200 charge cycles with no loss in performance. Toshiba is already shipping samples of a new lithium-ion battery for hybrid cars that supplies triple the power output of today's nickel-hydrogen batteries. Thin-Film Solar Cells For Portable Devices (March 15, 2009) Toppan Forms Co. will start selling thin-film solar cells for use in cellular phones, notebook computers and other portable devices. The Japanese company and Konarka Technologies Inc. are looking into the possibility of finding applications for the product in home construction materials, such as attaching it to wallpaper to generate electricity using indoor lighting. The thin-film solar cell will measure 10x10cm, have a thickness of 0.4mm and weigh just 5g. The developer’s claim the cells will last about 10 years and that a solar cell the size of a standard sheet of paper will be able to fully charge a mobile phone in two hours. Investing In Developing Countries’ Environmental Infrastructure (March 16, 2009) Japan will launch a $5 billion lending facility to help developing countries improve water, solar power and other environmental infrastructure. The government hopes to spur investment by private-sector banks by having public financial institutions participate. Tokyo will provide $5 billion over the next two years through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation for big private-sector projects. It also plans to supply syndicated loans with the Asian Development Bank and the International Finance Corp., an arm of the World Bank Group. Japan is eager to play a role in helping the world out of the deepening economic crisis. Prefectural-Private Sector Carbon Offset Deal (March 16, 2009) The Kochi prefectural government and department store chain Lumine Co. concluded a carbon offsetting contract. The deal marks the first carbon offsetting arrangement promoted by the Environment Ministry. The prefectural government will sell a portion of carbon dioxide emission cuts caused by its biofuel project to Lumine, which will offset Science & Technology News from Japan, Template 2009 • Felix Moesner, Science & Technology Attaché Page 14 of 28
Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft Confédération suisse Confederazione Svizzera Confederaziun svizra Embassy of Switzerland in Japan State Secretariat for Education and Research SER CO2 emissions attributed to its operations. The prefecture's biofuel project has been in place since October 2007, using wood from forest thinning as fuel to substitute for fossil fuel. The prefectural government says 1,938 tons of CO2 emissions were cut in the year through September 2008, of which 899 tons will be sold to Lumine. Academia And Government Go For Household Energy Saving (March 16, 2009) The president of the University of Tokyo boasts his eco-friendly "thermal bottle" house, which is wrapped with heat-insulating material and features solar panels on the roof. He also bought a hybrid car and replaced his air conditioners and refrigerator with the latest energyefficient models. These steps have slashed his utility bills and gasoline expenses by as much as 80%. The government recently announced a plan to purchase surplus electricity from homes and companies equipped with solar panels. At present, it will take 30 years for households with solar panel systems to recoup their investment. Japan is one of the countries in the vanguard for green technology. White Goods Research Center For Environmentally Conscious Europe (March 16, 2009) Some of the nation's biggest home appliance makers are promoting the green qualities in their white goods in a bid to capture a major share of environmentally conscious foreign markets. Constrained by stagnant domestic demand, companies such as Panasonic Corp. and Hitachi Appliances Inc. have launched a push into Europe and Asia with a new range of energy-efficient products designed to appeal to ecologically minded consumers. Panasonic will also create a research center in Germany to study European lifestyles and use of white goods so it can better adapt its product line to the tastes and needs of local consumers. Wind Power Modulator Cooperation (March 17, 2009) Japan Wind Development Co. and NGK Insulators Ltd. have joined forces to supply an output-leveling system for wind generators to U.S. power company Xcel Energy Inc. The system combines high-capacity sodium-sulfur batteries made by NGK with control technologies developed by Japan Wind to stabilize the supply of power from wind turbines. Japan Wind has already installed an output-leveling system at a wind farm in Rokkasho using batteries to adjust the supply of power to the grid. And NGK has begun marketing its high-capacity sodium-sulfur batteries overseas and plans to have the capacity to make 150,000kW of the batteries per year. Environment-Conscious Sanitary Products (March 17, 2008) INAX Corporation manufactures an extensive range of bath, toilet, kitchen and sanitary fixtures and tiles as building materials. INAX's sophisticated designs for these indispensable daily-life products has attracted a lot of attention; the company has also developed environment-conscious products such as advanced water-saving toilets and airpurifying tiles. Regain Lead In Solar Cell Market (March 18, 2009) The government will offer loans to assist firms in silicon procurement and make utilities purchase surplus power from households as part of its push to help Japan capture more than one-third of the global solar cell market by 2020. The plans were compiled by a panel of officials from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and representatives from such firms as Sharp Corp., Sanyo Electric Co. and Tokyo Electric Power Co. Japan accounted for roughly half of world production of solar cells in the first half of this decade. In 2007, as global output more than doubled to 3,733MW from two years earlier, Japan's share shrank to about 25%. Thinnest Glass-Substrate Lithium-Ion Battery Nippon Electric Glass Co. (NEG) and Iwate University of Morioka have developed the world's thinnest glass-substrate lithium-ion battery, measuring 0.03 mm in thickness. NEG is strong in the manufacturing technology of thin sheet glass used for liquid crystal display panels and other products. It has built a lithium-ion secondary battery by covering a 0.03 mm-thick ultra-thin glass substrate with a film-like cell. The glass substrate features an extremely smooth non-polished surface and is flexible owing to its thinness. The company is a major supplier of glass for film panel displays, accounting for 20% of the world's glass-substrate output for liquid crystal panels. (March 18, 2009) Science & Technology News from Japan, Template 2009 • Felix Moesner, Science & Technology Attaché Page 15 of 28
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