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Energy
Conservation Policies and Standby Power in Japan
February 8th 2001
Hidetoshi
Nakagami
Jyukankyo
Research Institute Inc.
Energy
Conservation Policies and Standby Power in Japan
February 8th 2001
Hidetoshi Nakagami, President of Jyukankyo Research Institute
1. The history of Saving Standby Power in Japan
In October 1992, the first report mentioned
about standby power in Japan was "Energy consumption and Life style - Balance
point of our comfort life and energy conservation based on the result of survey
in household"(CORE No70, Consumer-Goods Research Institute) issued by ladies
group of Ms. Nakata in Consumer-Goods Research Institute. At the same time, in our research institute,
we were handling the analysis and metering survey of load pattern of
electricity consumption in households.
We found that all of the people should have slept in midnight, but the
electricity had been consumed, like the amount of electricity consumption by refrigerator. Based on such survey, we made a report of
standby power as one of researches affected by committee of "Research and
Surveys of actual condition for Transition of our Life style and Energy
Consumption in household (Chairman, Mr. Yoichi Kaya, emeritus professor of
University of Tokyo) " established in Energy Conservation Center in Japan. When we released the result of such survey,
TV and newspapers reported this matter, we had an unexpected reflection. After
this event, public consumers in our country considered that reducing the
standby power was the most accessible way of energy conservation in households,
we saw a many of successful reports from here and there. Now, it is a good memory for me at present
that some manufacturers complained to be ill-treated by standby power. On the contrary, at present, as the
voluntary target of industries, 1) Standby Power should be reduced at zero or
so 2) As for the appliances consuming electricity by clock or timer function,
the maximum standby power consumed by such appliances should be reduced within
1W or less, were pledged by 3 industrial parties on Energy Saving Standards
Subcommittee in Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy in Ministry
of Economy, Trade and Industry.
2. Energy conservation policies in Japan
2-1. Twice Oil Crisis and Energy Conservation
After the second oil crisis, the word "Energy
Conservation" was popular among the public consumers. It was caused by the shocking influence on economy and society by
blocking of oil supply. Then, the
preferences of energy policies changed into escaping from oil dependence and
securing of energy demand and supply.
With respect to the supply side, instead of the oil, coal, LNG and nuclear
power were accepted as the principal of energy, as for the demand side, energy
conservation was the most important matter. From June 1977, energy conservation
policy took up as one of the energy policies started by Energy Saving Standards
Subcommittee that was ranked with Energy Supply and Demand Subcommittee and
Nuclear Power Subcommittee etc. established by Advisory Committee for Energy,
advisory council of Minister of International Trade and Industry (at present,
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry). On November 1977, the report "Necessity
and task of energy conservation policy" was issued. This report mentioned "Energy conservation policy is one of the
best field to expect the considerable effect by our own resolution and effort,
especially for our nation situated in the poorest energy supply condition in
the developed countries, it is also one of the most important fields" and also
appointed inefficiency of energy conservation in our country, requirement of
strong promotion for drastic energy measurements. In addition, at this time, it was quite interesting that peoples
in Japan understood energy conservation as a negative action like "economize
and patience", however the report mentioned that "Our step is to save energy by
end user and to use energy conservatively as much as possible, and is not
forced to fix the amount of energy consumption to consume energy within a fixed
amount." With such report, government
promoted to establish the law for promoting energy conservation mainly managed
by Ministry of International Trade and Industry. As a result, on January 1978, one of the advisory counsels of Minister
of construction, council of construction deliberated the "promotion plan of
energy conservation measurement for residences or other constructions". This
leaded by MITI, "the law for energy conservation use" was decided by cabinet
council on May 12th 1978.
Then, as a result of discussion on Diet, such law had been established
June 6th 1978 and affected on October 1978. At the same time, air-conditioners and refrigerators
were appointed to target appliances for improvement of energy efficiency, which
was the basis of appliances appointed by Top Runner approach. However, at this stage, the problem of
standby power was not considered. Then,
leaded by such target appliances, the energy conservation of home appliance had
been promoted unexpectedly. This meant
that the effect of "the law for energy conservation use" was great and
unexpected. However, from the mid of
1980s to 1990, through oil price reduction by OPEC measurement, high evaluation
of yen currency by PLAZA agreement, energy demand and supply was relaxed and
remained unchanged. Concerns about
energy conservation had been faded out by degrees. It happened to coincide with a time of the bursting of the bubble
economy in Japan. In such situation,
peoples shifted their life to consume much amount of energy detached from the
action of energy conservation. Large
sized and deluxe private automobile, excessive progress of convenience and
amenity of life in household were pointed out as examples.
2-2. Global warming and energy conservation
However, in 1990s, along with the appearance
of serious problems of the global environment, energy conservation emerged again
as a candidate of important subject of energy policies. The government established a framework for
promoting measurement of comprehensive energy conservation and started to
revise "the law for energy conservation use".
In fact, government drastically started to review and revise "the law
for energy conservation use" established in 1978. As a result, from 1993 to 1996, new standards for energy
conservation for home appliances were established one after the other. The value of standards for energy
conservation of air-conditioner, TV, florescent lamp and VCR had been
established, as these appliances were appointed to target appliances. It was worthy of attention that such
standards were the first trial to consider standby power. That is to say, standards of energy
conservation for TV and VCR included the specified target to reduce standby
power. However, in such case, standby
power was only dealt with the standards for target appliances, still there was
no measurements in energy conservation policies for standby power consumed by
many appliances focussed on this international conference. Anyway, it was worthy of evaluation that it
was fact that establishment of law for standby power was first achievement in
the world, even if the law effected only to target appliances. But public consumers were still unfamiliar
with the standby power.
2-3. Top Runner approach
To response of revision of "law for energy
conservation use", energy conservation of target appliances was promoted
gradually. However, according to the COP3
held in Kyoto in 1997, we had to revise standards again from 1998 to 1999 to
promote further energy conservation. As
a result of this revision, new energy standard named Top Runner method, unprecedented
tighter restrictions in the world, was established. While the conventional
standards were only targeted to improve the efficiency of average energy
conservation sold in the market, Top Runner approach was epoch-making standard at
the point that it set the target of improvement of energy efficiency based on
the most efficient appliance in the current market. Air conditioner, TV, VCR, florescent lamp and refrigerator were
appointed to target appliances of Top Runner approach. Certainly, as for the TV and VCR, targeted
standard of improvement of standby power was included in Top Runner
approach. In addition, new appliances
were recognized as target appliances by Advisory committee for Energy, Energy
Saving Standards Subcommittee on January 2001, study for constitution of new
standards for energy conservation have just been started. New target appliances include not only home
electricity appliances but also Gas and Oil appliances and outdoor vending
machine.
3. Standby Power
As I mentioned before, basically, reduction of standby power of home
appliances was not restricted by law expect TV and VCR. It seems that the reduction of standby power
will be proceeded with unexpected speed.
In the industry of home appliances, developments will be promoted to
reduce standby power as effectively zero by voluntary efforts, also I mentioned
before, advisory panel in government declared to reduce standby power with the
voluntary objective. The motivating
force for this declaration may be consumers’ keen interest and comprehensibility
of standby power. As for the
manufacturers of home appliances, expeditious reduction of electricity
consumption by voluntary action shows the potential possibility of energy
conservation by their own technology.
Actually, noticed from the effect of law for energy conservation, it is
fact that rapid energy conservation would be proceeded by law and
regulation. On the other hand, to
proceed energy conservation without law or regulation, government and industries
collaboration as well as the participation and understanding of public
consumers are very important elements.
Therefore, comprehensive information supply for public consumers will be
required.
4. For our future
Percentages of electricity consumption in residential sector in
Japan are now increasing by year and year.
This caused by the features of electricity represented by convenience
coming up with the rise of consumers’ income, although price of electricity is
more expensive than that of other energy resources. Meanwhile if the convenience of electricity has possibility to
bring the life excessively depending on electricity, we have to pay much
attention to this matter. I think that
one of the examples is standby power.
In addition, from now on, if the IT revolution in household will be
proceeded, it would be easy to imagine that unexpected and unused consumption
pattern will come into being. If the
home server work on 24 hours, energy consumption would be exceeded the
conventional energy consumption of information and screen image appliances.
Also it is easy to imagine that Digital-TV, plasma display will be the new
factors of increase of electricity consumption. On the other hand, subject of standby power will be required to
note in household as well as in other fields.
As for the commercial sector, we have to consider the measurement of
standby power consumed by office automation equipment. Since we have only a little
data for this field at present, actually it is impossible to discuss with this
matter, but we have to study and investigate it. Also, it should be considered
that electricity consumption of plant, equipment for receiving and transforming
electricity and electrical transformer of mobile phone service station are
exceeded the standby power consumed by all households in Japan. As for the
electrical transformer, it was recognized to target appliances of Top Runner
approach, the investigation of it is now at the beginning stage. The amount of standby power consumed by
electrical transformers in the world is considered to be enormous amount, we
also have to investigate this matter for next target. Anyway, the standby power
consumed by each appliance is a minute amount, compiled amount of it will be
equivalent to the amount of consumption by TV in a household, and compiled
amount of it will be 19 billions kWh in households in Japan. Diametrically, I feel that standby power is
the microcosm of global warming. Our increasing energy consumption will go in
for devastation of environment. To solve this problem, like to reduce the
standby power of each appliance, long succession of accessible and slight
efforts is important for us.
Reference:
Nakata, Mutou,
Hashiguchi, Murakami, Hasegawa:"Energy Consumption & Life Style", CORE No.19 Vol.4",(1992)
H. Nakagami "Global
Warming & Stand-by Electricity" Sept, 1996, Consumers' Co-operative
Institute, Japan
"Aiming at efficient
use of energy" Energy Conservation Center in Japan, 1988
H.Nakagami,
C.Murakoshi. "Japanese appliances on the fast track." Appliance Efficiency Vol.3, Sept. 1999
H.Nakagami,
C.Murakoshi, Y.Nagata. "Revision of Japanese Appliance Energy Efficiency
Standards- A New Top-Runner Approach -ECEEE
Summer Study,May 1999
"Survey for
stand-by electricity consumption in households" Energy Conservation Center in
Japan, 2000
"Livelihood and
Energy in the future" Japan Productivity Center for Socioeconomic Development
E. Shibata "Energy
conservation and CO2 reduction of amorphous electricity transformer". Energy
Conservation Center in Japan
"Enchiridion for
Energy Conservation" Energy Conservation Center in Japan
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