History and Future of Renewable Energy | Renewable Energy / New Energy | Special Content | Resource Energy Agency

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Do you know that artificial satellites are moving due to solar power?Renewable energy (renewable energy) to sustain our lives.It is the future we envisioned, and the theme that the Japanese have been challenging.Japan was once a renewable energy power.In the 1950s, Japan's energy self -sufficiency was 58 % (currently only 8 %), which accounted for the large part of the hydropower (the position of hydroelectric power generation in Japan, "" Regeneration "is" regenerated with a stable supply of hydropower.Introduced in "possible energy).This time, we will look at the history and future of Japan's rehearsal in Japan, focusing on solar power generation, which has been the center of topics in recent years (will be featured in another article later on wind power generation.)

1.The dawn of renewable energy in Japan

"Sunshine Plan" born from the oil shock

In 1974, full -fledged renewable energy initiatives in Japan began. What triggered the "Sunshine (SS) Plan", which would be reorganized and promoted as a national project until 2000. Behind this major project was the first oil shock that occurred in 1973 of the previous year. In Japan, which depended on the Middle East oil in the Middle East, a major confusion occurred and stable energy was required ("What will happen when oil stops? See the risk? " Therefore, the "Sunshine Plan", which aims to ensure long -term stability supply of energy that does not rely on oil only, has been pursued by combining the power of industry and academia under the initiative of the Ministry of Trade, Trade and Industry (currently the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry). I was. The goal of developing the use of clean energy that does not exhaust, is the main target of solar power, geothermal power, hydrogen energy, and liquefaction and gas of coal. In addition, research on wind power and biomass energy was also promoted as "comprehensive research." In 1980, the “New Energy Development Organization”, which is the promotion organization of the Sunshine Plan, and the current “New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)” will be established. In October of the same year, the "Law Concerning the Promotion of Development and Introduction of Oil" and the so -called "energy method" were enforced, and the foundation for renewable energy research was established.

The beginning of solar power development in Japan

The challenges that are all important in solar power are low cost and high performance. The solar cell manufacturing cost in the 1970s, when the Sunshine Plan began, was tens of thousands of yen per W. Therefore, in the Sunshine Plan, the target was to lower the price of less than one -100, to 100 yen per W. With this plan, the development of solar power generation will start in Japan. Studies on various types of solar cells, structures, and mass production technologies, such as crystal silicon, which were the main materials at the time, as well as the amorphus silicon solar cells, which can reduce the cost, were undergoing research on various types of solar cells, structures, and mass production technology. A measure for promoting use was also implemented. The "Solar System Promotion Promotion System" founded in 1980 is one of them, and it is a support system that allows individuals to provide low -cost funding loans when individuals have set up solar systems in houses. This system continued until 1996, and the number of loans was 274,000 in total, promoting the spread of solar power to ordinary households.

Beginning of technology development such as geothermal power generation and wind power generation

Under the Sunshine Plan, research has been conducted on other revenue.Regarding geothermal power, resource surveys were conducted in 72 regions nationwide since 1980.As a result, the power generation business will be held in Dai, Akita Prefecture, Yanazu Nishiyama, Fukushima Prefecture, Oiri, Kagoshima Prefecture, Yamakawa, and Hachijojima, Tokyo.In 1996, it achieved a geothermal power generation of 500,000 kW.For wind power, the development of a large windmill of 100 kW in Japan in 1981 began, and demonstration experiments started in 1982.In 1991, the first demonstration experiment in Japan was conducted at Ryuhi Cape, Aomori Prefecture.

On the other hand, there is a debate that Japan may not be suitable for wind power generation due to terrain problems compared to Europe, etc., so aiming to develop the next large aircraft of the MW class, first try to grasp the situation of the Japanese wind.Conducted a breeze survey.In 1994, we created the "Wind Map".In addition, at the beginning of wind power generation, windmills were damaged due to typhoons and lightning strikes, so from 2005 to 2008, the NEDO formulated a "Japanese windmill power generation guideline", which conforms to the natural conditions unique to Japan.The way was set.

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2.Efforts to spread renewable energy

A comprehensive policy has started with a view to environmental protection

In 1993, the Sunshine Plan was reorganized into the "Newsan Shine Plan" by integrating the "Moonlight Plan", which aims to research and develop energy -saving technology. Around this time, global warming issues were beginning to be high -up, and alternative energy and energy -saving initiatives were considered to be effective against environmental issues, as the effects of reducing greenhouse gases. Therefore, it was changed as a plan to work on two goals, energy and global environment protection. In 1994, the "New Energy Introduction Tuna" was formulated at a ministerial meeting to promote the comprehensive energy countermeasures. This indicates how to work on new energy, including renewable energy, as a whole country as a whole. For the first time in this rope, it has been clearly shown that new energy including renewable energy and new ways to use energy, such as cogeneration, should be actively introduced as a country. In the year when the Kyoto Protocol was formulated in 1997, the Special Measures Law on Promotion of New Energy Use (New Energy Law) was enforced. Promotion of new energy introduction such as solar power generation, wind power generation, geothermal power generation, biomass energy, natural gas coordination, etc. will accelerate further.

Efforts to spread solar power generation

Among the renewable energy, solar cells, which have been reduced in cost and more efficient efficiency by technology development, are working to further spread. One of the helps was the power purchase system. In 1992, it began as a voluntary initiative by electric power companies in the "purchase system at the selling price of surplus power due to solar power generation". When solar power generation exceeds demand, the power company buys the remaining power at the same price as the electricity selling price for ordinary households. If surplus power could be sold, the cost of solar power generation could be collected faster, which led to the promotion of solar power generation. In order to realize this purchase system, it is necessary to connect solar power to the electric power network "power system" from power generation to power transmission and power distribution (systematic). Make a mechanism and guidelines to enable such a link were carried out between 1992 and 1993. In addition, subsidies will be issued to houses that install solar power. These various initiatives have begun to increase the introduction of solar power in ordinary households. Until then, the world of renewable energy was mainly in Europe and the United States, but as a result of these measures, from the late 1900s to the early 2000s, Japan was the world's largest position in solar power and solar cell production. I have been acquired. In the early 2000s, Japan became the world's largest production base that supplies more than 50 % of the world's solar cells. On the other hand, in the case of wind power generation, in the 1980s and 1990s, the number of facilities increased and market expansion has progressed, significantly reducing power generation costs. For more information, I will introduce it later.

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3.Efforts to establish renewable energy and expand usage

Solar power generated in the world

In this way, Japan has become one of the world's top class in solar power, but in the mid -2000s, the focus on environmental issues has gained attention, and efforts to develop renewable energy technology and introduction around the world are accelerating.To do.In terms of technology, a commodity of solar cell technology occurred in the late 2000s.In the 2010s, the mainstay of the world's solar cell production base moves from developed countries to East Asia, including China and Taiwan.

Changes in power generation costs for solar power generation in the world

(Source) Bloomberg New Energy Finance * Exchange rate: Bank of Japan Banking Standards Foreign Exchange Market and Foreign Exchange Market (Applicable in May 2017: 113 yen, 1 euros = 121 yen)

In terms of use, the German Schrader administration has been ruddered to renewable energy and expanded its use.Regarding solar power generation, the price declining accompanied by commodity has rapidly progressed, and the power generation market has shifted from developed countries to developing countries.Especially in Asian countries, the demand for electricity has rapidly increased in economic development, and the introduction of renewable energy has been actively promoted.

The amount of renewable energy introduction increases rapidly in the "FIT method"

As the tide over renewable energy changes drastically, policies will be launched in Japan to further expand the use of renewable energy. In 2009, the purchase of surplus power of solar power was obliged for power companies. In addition, the cost of purchasing was added to the electricity fee, so that the general public who uses electricity will be shared widely. This is due to the policy of trying to spread solar power and realize a low -carbon society by all members participating. In addition, there is a system that supports the spread of various renewable energy, not limited to solar power generation. That is the "fixed price purchase (FIT) system" that started in 2012. The FIT system is not only for solar power, but also for wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass. As a result, the "power sales business" involving investors has rapidly expanded. For example, solar power generation was mainly in residential systems until the FIT system began, but after the start of the FIT system, large -scale power generation, such as mega solar, has been set up, and a new market for power generation business has been opened. Looking at the amount of introduction, you can see the size of the impact given by the FIT system. The cumulative introduction of solar power generation before the start of the FIT system was about 5 GW, but it was about 39 GW at the end of March 2017 after the start. However, the rapidly expansion of renewable energy has also caused various issues, so the system was revised in April 2017 (see "What will happen to our lives with the Fit Law revision?"). 。

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Four.The future of renewable energy as a core energy

Renewation is the same cost as the conventional energy

According to the IEA (International Energy Agency), the investment in renewable energy, mainly solar power generation and wind power generation in 2016, is 241.6 billion yen.I did it.The cost of renewable energy is increasingly declining, and in the world, there have been cases in which solar power supply contracts by solar power are established at a price of 1.8 cents per kWh.In the world's top runners, the same level of power generation costs as conventional power sources (see "Consider the cost of renewable energy").

Changes in the percentage of power generation equipment introduction and renewable energy in each year

(Source) IEA Weo2016

The future of renewable energy in Japan

In Japan, the cost of renewable energy power generation is getting lower year by year. However, it is still higher than overseas, and it is necessary to develop technology for low -priced and regulation reform. Regarding solar power generation, the development of solar cells with higher conversion efficiency and lower costs are supported while looking at the next generation of revenue ("conversion efficiency is also achieved! See "evolved?" In addition, although renewable energy is becoming a core energy, the amount of power generation of sunlight and wind power depends on the weather. Therefore, it is necessary to have a supply and demand adjustment based on the prediction of power generation and power consumption, and a power control function using storage batteries. There is also a policy to promote such technical research. On the other hand, the hydropower and geothermal that can generate stable power on the day and night (basic terms of energy you need to know -renewable energy “underneath”, which is also useful for regional revitalization, is low cost and stable. It is expected to be a "base road power supply" that can be supplied. However, there are issues such as long lead time, a lot of costs, so that hydropower is more efficient and promoting development of small and medium -sized power generation equipment. For geothermal power generation, etc., the support of development funds and technical research to improve development efficiency are being conducted (see "To make use of the grace of geothermal as an energy"). In anticipation of the expansion of the energy industry, it is necessary to strengthen overseas expansion centered on developing countries. See the nice global warming countermeasures ") The renewable energy power generation business is also eligible, and it is expected that such a support system will be a support for the Japanese renewable energy business. It is an area that is indispensable for our future life and that Japan, which has no energy resources, can contribute internationally with initiatives. Support two sides of technology development and use through various policies. We will expand the spread of renewable energy.

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