On January 14, 2021, Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO, Headquarters: Tokyo) announced that its partner company, NTT Anode Energy (Headquarters: Tokyo), has launched a demonstration test for a renewable energy direct current (DC) power system in Chiba City. NTT Anode Energy is a subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT, Headquarters: Tokyo), a Japanese telecommunications company that offers smart energy solutions. The project will also collaborate with TN Cross (Headquarters: Tokyo), jointly owned by TEPCO and NTT, which provides smart energy management systems.
The demonstration test is part of their pilot project “Toward the Realization of a Smart Energy City for Chiba City” which was launched in April 2020. The project is studying the following items:
1) Supporting the development of backup power systems at evacuation shelters,
2) Promoting the use of renewable energies and improve disaster resilience by utilizing the DC power system,
3) Maximizing the energy value through the effective use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in both normal times and emergencies.
The project aims to achieve the 2) goal above in order to support Chiba city’s transition to a smart city that promotes the introduction of renewable energies and enhance the disaster resilience. According to NTT Anode Energy, this is the first project of its kind to provide DC power from private companies and municipalities to off-site third parties’ facilities, using their own lines.
The test will install and use a 59 KW solar power generation system with 36 kWh storage batteries at an idle area of land owned by NTT East (Headquarters: Tokyo[1]). In the event of a power outage, Shirai Junior High School, one of Chiba city’s designated evacuation shelters, will be supplied with renewable energy generated by the installed equipment. The project will demonstrate and verify the operational procedure and the power quality of the power supply system for shelters during emergencies; the power supply system by solar power generation and energy storage battery for communications equipment in normal times; and the utilization of the power system with solar power generation with storage batteries during disasters.[2]
[1] https://www.ntt-east.co.jp/en/aboutus/profile.html
[2] https://www.tepco.co.jp/press/release/2021/1570026_8711.html