In December 2006, Nippon Steel City Produce, Inc., a developer of condominiums, started the construction of condominiums (tentatively named the Yahata Higashida Urban Residence) in the Urban Residence Zone of the Yahata Higashida General Development, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The basic concept of the project is to make the whole condominium area eco-friendly. The complex is expected to emit 30 percent less CO2 emissions compared to typical condominiums of the same scale.

The project will introduce various features including (1) one of the largest photovoltaic power generation systems in the city (about 200 kilowatts), (2) the first car-sharing system of its kind for condominiums in the Kyushu area, (3) power supplied by a natural-gas fired co-generation system in the Yahata Higashida General Development area, and (4) efficient thermal insulation and energy saving equipment.

With the aim of becoming the "World Capital of Sustainable Development," Kitakyushu City is actively working on developing ecology-oriented communities through collaboration with stakeholders, including citizens, businesses and local government. In 2001, Yahata Higashida District held the Japan Expo 2001 Kitakyushu and, based on its experience, submitted various proposals on how to tackle environmental problems in the twenty-first century. As a result, the Yawata Higashida Green Village Project came to be born.

The condominium project is considered vital for successful completion of the Yahata Higashida Green Village Project. In November 2006, the Ministry of the Environment recognized the condominium's important role in the overall project and selected it as a model for the "Community-wide 20 Percent CO2 Emissions Reduction Program, making it eligible for a subsidy from the ministry.


- Ministry Selects 2 Model Projects to Reduce CO2 Emissions in Urban Neighborhoods (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1624-e

Posted: 2007/05/01 09:27:50 AM
Japanese version

TAG Eco-product/Business , Global warming , Local government , Manufacturing industry