Are 'Smart' Cities Japan's next export?
The importance of
green energy solutions has been underlined lately by economic woes and a costly dependence on
fossil fuels. In 2008, nearly 80% of the world's energy came
from fossil fuels, according to a Renewable Energy Policy Network
study. Only 19% came from renewable energy
sources such as solar, wind, and biofuel technologies.
An innovative concept, however, commonly known as a "smart city" has
recently emerged to promote more efficient energy usage on a large
scale. The smart city model creates energy efficient cities capable of
decreasing carbon emissions and using more renewable power.
Smart cities aren't necessarily cheap or easy, but can produce advantages over the ageing infrastructure of dated energy
systems.
Critical to the management and networking of a so-called “smart city” is a smart grid. According to technology giant CISCO systems, a
smart grid is a connected and efficient communication
system that manages a large amount of data (not unlike the internet).
The benefit of smart grids is that they can route energy to multiple
locations within a city by the most efficient means possible.
Several countries have embraced the development and integration of
smart technology, but Japan in particular has taken the smart city idea
to a whole new level.
According to AP, an
electronics event in Tokyo dedicated an entire level of its exhibit
space to promote this smart city infrastructure. Meanwhile, a list of premier companies have joined efforts to design and test these ultra-efficient city formats in Japan. Toshiba, Nissan, Tokyo Gas, and Panasonic are amongst the list of participating firms.
Japan's recently launched "Yokohama Smart City Project" will
demonstrate the smart energy network in real life. In one
particular location, a multi-family smart house scheduled for completion
in 2011 is projected to reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 30%. And
according to AP's report, a primary objective of these investments
is to sell Japan's smart city concepts to investors abroad.
Japan's smart city technology could export well, as several markets throughout the globe
have already embraced the green concept.
Amsterdam, for
example, has pledged millions in smart grid technology and continues to
invest. In the United States, the city of Boulder, Colorado, became
the nation's first smart grid city after receiving €72bn for the new
technology. Meanwhile, Italy has a small city entirely powered by
renewable energy and Australia has committed some €70mn to its smart
grid-smart city infrastructure. Both China and South Korea plan to
make substantial investments in smart grid technology as well.