JP
RE100 Japan
Transition Japan to 100% Renewable Energy and aim for Carbon Zero
The world needs to be carbon
zero* by roughly 2030-2035
✝
.
Otherwise the Paris goal of
keeping warming to a maximum of
1.5°C will be exceeded.
* possibly netzero depending on technological progress in negative emissions
✝
WMO, Guardian, Carbonbrief
What is RE100?
RE100 means:
All energy supply and
consumption is from
100% REnewable
sources (Wind, Water,
Solar, Geothermal etc.)
RE100 is a BIG CHANCE for
Japan
Japan has a perfect
starting position for
RE100
➔ Building heating and cooling near 100%
electric already
➔ Extensive electric high-speed train network
➔ Dense urban living and extensive
motorways, ideal for deploying EV charging
network
➔ Average daily Car Journey < 25km (MLIT)
➔ Second lowest seasonal variation in Solar PV
potential in the G7, requiring less seasonal
adjustments (World Bank)
Japan has an opportunity to take a
leading position in RE100 progress
and technology
RE100 Opportunity
Innovative leadership is required in
areas that Japanese companies are
world leaders in:
➔ Next generation battery tech and electricity
storage, both chemically and kinetically using heavy
engineering
➔ Green hydrogen production: Japan already
operates the largest green hydrogen production
plant. Plants in development will outgrow this soon
➔ Hydrogen powered heavy transport, aviation and
shipping
➔ Ammonia powered heavy transport, aviation and
shipping
➔ Electrified heavy industry such as steel production
➔ Next generation solar panels
➔ Negative emissions
➔ ...
Can Japan achieve
RE100?
RE100 is not impossible:
➔ All suggestions are based on available
technology, or technology in immediate
development
➔ The focus has been on using technology
that is available now and not only in the
future
Japan has to catch up in RE100
deployment
Renewables do not supply much of Japan’s energy needs yet. Growth since 1990 has been slow
RE100 makes economic sense
RE100 saves energy
RE100 reduces
energy use by over
50%
This is due to increased efficiency
in each sector
Efficiencies explained:
Residential/Commercial: heat pumps are 5 times more efficient than gas boilers for
heating and hot water
Industrial/Energy: Electric heat is 1.2 times more efficient than fossil heat. Fossil Fuel
Energy has an average efficiency of only ~50%. The 2 factors combined make for 42%
reduction in energy required
Transportation: EVs are 5 times as efficient as combustion engines, Fuel-cell vehicles
up to 2 times, resulting in a 72% reduction
RE100 saves money
RE1oo makes
electricity cheaper
With RE100 electricity will cost less
per kwh than it does at the moment
RE100 Capital Costs
are equal to Annual
Fossil Fuel
Expenditure
Assuming a transition to RE100 lasting 10 years,
the annual capital costs for this transition are equal
the annual national expenditure on fossil fuels. This
represents 3.3% of GDP
As Japan builds out RE100 it stops spending on
fossil fuel
90%
of CO2e Emissions are
eliminated through RE100
10% of CO2e
Emissions remain
after RE100
A share of N2O and CH4 is being
eliminated by RE100. HFC-gases
are being phased out
82% of remaining CH4 emissions is due to agriculture: animal
husbandry and wet rice cultivation. Reducing animal product
consumption and using dry rice cultivation can reduce this
Novel ways in industrial processes need to be developed that
eliminate CO2 emissions from those processes (e.g. carbon-zero
concrete)
What does RE100 look like?
29% Wind power, 68% Solar, 3% others
New Capacity needed:
194GW new Wind Power
412GW new Solar Power - biggest addition
in rooftop PV
RE100 in Detail
Japan has massive
unused rooftop PV
potential
Only 2.8% of suitable roof space is
currently being used
Google makes available data on rooftop PV capacity.
These were used to estimate the total available
capacity for all of Japan
Increase building
mount PV capacity
beyond rooftops
Wall mounted PV is becoming an
option to increase a building’s RE
potential
Colored solar panels can blend into a building’s
design while generating RE
Potential Capacity: MINT Kobe, 1.2MW
Hankyu Kobe Bldg, 1.1MW
Source: NREL SAM
Sectors in Details
Climate Safety
Building Standard
Make maximum capacity rooftop
solar and battery storage compulsory
for all buildings, existing and new
To make buildings climate safe they need to produce and
store as much of the energy they use as possible. California
has introduced such legislation, Germany is following suit
Zero upfront cost can be offered to building owners through
solar leasing (PPA) schemes. Power companies install panels
and offer the owners a lower energy cost than currently
paid
This will have to be adapted to include battery storage
Phase out gas boilers and make electric heat (e.g. heat
pumps) mandatory for hot water
Heating and cooling already predominantly powered by
electricity
Climate Safe
Energy Industry
The energy Industry can drive
large scale adoption of renewable
energy production
Solar: Utility and Energy companies can
develop a new market with solar lease (PPA)
agreements. Climate Safety Building
Standards make rooftops a guaranteed
source of revenue, while giving the
consumer lower energy bills
Wind: Utility companies divert investment
in fossil fuels into wind power
EV Charging: Fossil Fuel companies are
building out EV charging infrastructure
Climate Safe
Transport
Electrify Transport fleet. Use
Hydrogen fuel cells for long range
applications
Battery electric vehicles (BE) are becoming mainstream
with more and more manufacturers making the switch
Phase out fossil Fuel Transport through legislation, same as
earlier emission standards
Cars: BE (BE is 2.5 times more efficient than HFC)
Trucks: BE + Hydrogen Fuel cell (HFC)
Ships: BE (short range), HFC (medium/long range), H2/NH3
combustion (long range)
Planes: BE (short range), HFC (medium range), H2/NH3
combustion (long range)
Climate Safe
Industry
Electrify Industrial processes with
electrically generated heat
Any Industrial process can employ electrically
generated heat
Electrical heat is 1.2 times more efficient than
combustion heat, safer to deploy and requires
no fuel infrastructure and supply chain
Use Existing Technology
to Transition to RE100
Step by Step
10 Year
Timeline
Start the RE100
transition in 2021!
There is no reason to
wait!