'Networking for Prevention of Blackouts' Announcing Emergency Level of Power Shortage Proves Effective for Household Electricity Saving

The Center for Low Carbon Society Strategy (LCS), established by the Japanese Science and Technology Agency (JST), conducted a research in summer 2011, in which LCS verified the impact on power consumption when households were trying to save electricity use . About 80 percent of the participating households reduced the use of home appliances, thereby contributing a 20 percent reduction in electricity consumption.

About 500 households were chosen as monitors from five municipalities - Arakawa Ward, Adachi Ward, Kashiwa City, Kawasaki City and Nagareyama City. In this research project, each local government sent test mails through their own network to each household with alarms for electricity conservation. The LCS checked the power-saving behaviors at home with questionnaires and also monitored the numeric change in power consumption using meters installed in about 100 households to take records of the consumption.

The aim of the project was to avoid scheduled or extensive blackouts by each household saving electricity by setting power-consumption forecasts and degrees indicating its urgency, based upon weather forecast and power demand and supply data obtained from weather forecasting companies or power companies and original model calculation. By expanding the area using a blackout prevention network system, it is expected that blackouts can be avoided while business activities can continue without interruption.

Tokyo Steps up Campaign to Eliminate Incandescent Lights (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026912.html
2011 Summer Energy-Saving Efforts in Japan:
"We Can Make It!"--Achievements and Success Factors
http://www.japanfs.org/en/mailmagazine/newsletter/pages/031246.html

Posted: 2011/12/14 06:00:15 AM