Nagoya City in central Japan issued an energy conservation guidebook in March 2008 aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which lag behind in promoting energy conservation relative to larger companies. Based on opinions expressed in the "CO2 Reduction Scrum Meetings with Companies" forum started in 2007, the city conducted a survey on energy-saving measures being undertaken by 29 SMEs including supermarkets and convenience stores in the city, and used the results to create the guidebook.

The measures proposed in the guidebook are divided into three types: those that require no cost, those that require investments that can be recovered within 10 years, and those that require investments with unspecified recovery times. For example, a supermarket with a total floor area of 4,000 square meters can eliminate 3 tons of CO2 emissions per year simply by taking care not to block the air outlets of refrigerated display cases with products, and 7 tons by turning off air conditioners one hour before closing time. The guidebook introduces many other measures as well, many illustrated by figures and tables that help readers clearly understand energy reduction expressed as equivalents of electricity consumption, crude oil and costs.

To promote global warming countermeasures, Nagoya City has also established a system to dispatch energy conservation advisors, who visit mid-sized stores with the guidebook to provide helpful suggestions on energy conservation.

http://www.city.nagoya.jp/global/en/

Posted: 2008/09/09 06:13:44 AM

TAG Energy , Global warming , Local government , Non-manufacturing industry