SHIZEN ENERGY Group

Shizen Energy Inc. (Shizen Energy), together with JFE Engineering Corporation (JFE Engineering)and  Smart Energy Kumamoto Co., Ltd. (Smart Energy Kumamoto), established by Kumamoto City and JFE Engineering, have installed large-scale storage batteries at Aqua Dome Kumamoto and Kumamoto Municipal Hitsuyukan Senior High School in Kumamoto City.

Business Background
Currently, the Japanese government has set a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The Japanese government aims to establish a decarbonization roadmap by 2025 in 100 decarbonization regions, mainly by local governments, local companies, and financial institutions, based on the characteristics of the regions, and the plans are to be  implemented by FY2030.

Kumamoto City has also pledged to achieve virtually zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 in the Kumamoto Cooperation Central Urban Area, consisting of 18 cities, towns, and villages by promoting regional energy projects, securing electricity for  times of disaster, and promoting energy conservation, energy storage, and renewable energy in public facilities.

Project Information
This project will be implemented by Kumamoto City, JFE Engineering and Smart Energy Kumamoto with a Ministry of the Environment subsidy. The project aims to improve local energy production for local consumption and economic efficiency. This is done by charging surplus electricity from the incinerator power generation facilities in Kumamoto City to the large-scale storage batteries at both facilities during the night and discharging and cutting peak demand during the daytime, based on a recharge/discharge plan from the cloud. In addition,  in the event of a power outage, both facilities which are designated as evacuation centers have islanding operation capabilities when disconnected from the power grid.

In this project, Shizen Energy was in charge of procurement of large-scale storage batteries manufactured by TAOKE ENERGY Co., Ltd (TAOKE ENERGY), development of the overall system including the energy management system, connection testing, and comprehensive trial operation. In addition, an energy management system compatible with the large-scale storage batteries manufactured by TAOKE ENERGY was developed and implemented in “Shizen Connect,” an EMS developed and provided by Shizen Energy.

Specifically, the planned recharge/discharge values of the storage batteries are obtained from JFE Engineering’s cloud system by Shizen Energy’s cloud system via API, and Shizen Connect, which is installed onsite, gives recharge/discharge instructions to the storage batteries. If there is a discrepancy between the planned recharge/discharge values from the cloud and actual demand, Shizen Connect automatically discharges the storage batteries under its own end control to prevent demand overshoot.　

With the company purpose of “We take action for the blue planet,” Shizen Energy will develop renewable energy sources in harmony with local communities and combine them with digital technologies such as EMS and storage batteries to flexibly respond to various needs such as decarbonization and strengthening energy resilience. Together with fellow partners,  Shizen Energy aims to realize a 100% renewable energy world as soon as possible.

■Business Overview

■Facility Photos

              　　　　【Aqua Dome Kumamoto】　　　　　　　【Hitsuyukan Senior High School】

【About Smart Energy Kumamoto Co., Ltd.】
Established in November 2018 by JFE Engineering which has been entrusted with the construction and 20-year comprehensive operation of Kumamoto City’s Western Environmental Plant. Kumamoto City acquired a 5% stake in the company in May 2019.  The company will supply electricity generated at Kumamoto City’s two east and west waste treatment plants to more than 200 city-owned facilities, including city hall and elementary and junior high schools, as well as promote energy storage like this project, introduce renewable energy to city-owned facilities, and develop demand response.
・URL：https://se-kumamoto.co.jp/

【About Shizen Energy Inc.】
Founded in June, 2011. With the company purpose of “We take action for the blue planet”, the company’s business includes development, financing, and asset management of renewable energy power plants using solar power, wind power, small-scale hydroelectric power, and biomass. Since 2016, the company has also been focusing on its overseas operations, expanding its development and power generation projects in areas such as Southeast Asia and Brazil. In 2019, the company also entered the energy tech business, offering micro-grid and VPP construction, smart charging and discharging services for EVs, and other services through its self-developed EMS (energy management system). Shizen Energy Group has been involved in more than 1 GW of renewable energy generation in Japan and overseas.
　・Headquarters: Fukuoka Ohori Bldg. 3F/6F, 1-1-6 Arato, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City,   Fukuoka Prefecture
　・Representative Directors: Ken Isono, Kenji Kawado, Masaya Hasegawa
　・URL: http://www.shizenenergy.net/en/ 

【About Shizen Connect】
Shizen Connect is an aggregation energy management system that collectively controls energy resources such as renewable energy power generation, storage batteries, EVs and EcoCutes. Shizen Connect can control residential solar power generation with storage batteries and  V2H equipment, as well as operation of microgrids connecting multiple buildings with transmission lines, and VVP construction of several thousand units of energy resources. Individual control and VVP control tended to be separate, but Shizen Connect provides a one stop service allowing energy resources to be utilized with multi-purpose which also  improves economic efficiency. The system can be adapted with any equipment supplier, allowing energy resources to be chosen freely without relying on a certain manufacturer.

<For inquiries regarding this press release>
Shizen Energy Inc., Public Relations Department
E-mail: se-comm@shizenenergy.net