Aiming for energy conservation and links and exchanges between Osaka Prefecture and Shanghai City (June 19-28, 2013)

The fiscal 2013 seminar in Japan for the JICA Grass-Roots Cooperation Program (Shanghai Energy Conservation Human Development Program for Leaders) was implemented for 10 days from June 19-28, after it was deferred last year due to the issue over the Senkaku islands. The nine participants from Shanghai learned about energy-conservation technologies at factories and buildings and related activities at locations in Osaka, a place of advanced environmental measures. An exchange meeting between participants and companies in Osaka related to energy conservation was also planned, and the companies sent some of their own products and technologies to Shanghai.

The participants were given a close look at the equipment, including behind the scenes, of “Osaka Station City,” the city’s new gateway that was inaugurated in May 2011.

Contributing to environmental improvements in Shanghai and to cost-cutting

Osaka is a region with advanced environmental measures, as local governments in Osaka, including Osaka Prefecture, are carrying out their own original energy-conservation efforts and its companies are also passionate about energy conservation. The seminar was implemented with the aim of introducing the experiences related to this energy conservation and environmental improvement and providing technical guidance to Shanghai, a city with a friendship exchange agreement with Osaka Prefecture as a way of contributing to improving the environment in the city of Shanghai. Another goal was to generate opportunities for the introduction of Japanese products and technologies that can be employed in the city’s factories and business locations, through exchanges with companies that possess energy-saving technologies that can be found in Osaka Prefecture.

An exchange is held with eight local companies at the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry on June 27.

Aiming to standardize energy conservation and foster human resources

In order for the measures for energy conservation implemented by the administration of the city of Shanghai to be promoted, and that the promotion of energy conservation at individual companies is pushed, the seminar was held so as to obtain the tangible results mentioned in the following: First off, the measures included completion of a manual that promotes energy conservation for “electrical machinery,” to produce it in book form and distribute it, so that the expertise covered at the Japan seminar and dispatch of specialists could be shared among municipal administrators in Shanghai. Next, to be able to complete such a manual, human resources are to be trained, and after completion of the manual to provide leadership for energy conservation in various sectors. When training takes place, the specialists from Osaka provide guidance on the energy-saving methods for “electrical machinery” (such as pumps, ventilators, compressors and air conditioners). Additionally, the exchange meeting is held, involving companies that possess energy-saving technologies in Osaka while the Japan seminar is in progress.

The seminar participant of the Strategic Development Department of the Shanghai City Energy Conservation Center, is interviewed by a TV station.

Seminar participants and advance preparations

The group consisted of nine people: six members of the Center, an official of the Economic Commission of Shanghai Minhang District, an official from the Shanghai Electrical Apparatus Research Institute (Group) Co., Ltd. and an official from the Shanghai University of Economics and Finance. The city of Shanghai’s total electrical power consumption in 2010 was 129.5 billion KW/h, with the industrial sector accounting for 60% of the total with 79.5 billion KW/h. And even though consumption by electrical machinery systems for use in the industrial sector accounted for 75%, the operational energy efficiency of these systems is rated at roughly 20% less compared to cases in advanced countries. In light of this situation, the city of Shanghai is aiming to improve total energy efficiency of electrical machinery systems under its “12th Five Year Plan,” with the objective of pushing for more widespread use of high-efficiency fans, pumps and air compressors. Before coming to Japan, the seminar participants produced the “Instructions Related to Technological Improvements for Energy Conservation for Electrical Machinery Systems” and dealt with the instructions’ content in the seminar.

Taking part in the seminar

Day after day, the participants inspected energy-saving efforts at a variety of factories and buildings. The level of interest was high during the field trips, with participants asking many questions. Not only were they interested in the latest machinery, but they also displayed a deep interest in the practical application of information management and energy-saving measures that are being routinely handled at the various business locations. To cite a couple of specific examples: the sharing of daily reports among the people concerned that were accurate and well organized, and the diligent switching off of the air conditioning.

Future activities

The seminar participants will revise the manual by referring to the technologies, information and energy conservation activities they learned during their seminar in Japan. The manual will be finalized during the visit to Shanghai, scheduled for October, by the specialists from Osaka involved in energy conservation. In addition, the specialists will hold a seminar with the plan of systemizing human resources capable of promoting energy saving, mainly focusing on the nine seminar participants in the latest seminar.

Mori, International Department

Seminar summary