For the third year in a row, Green Innovation Connect sponsored a Japan Pavilion at the Green California Summit held in Sacramento on April 19th and 20th. Green Innovation Connect is designed to show how Japanese green tech can be usefully applied to the construction of new or existing buildings. At the Pavilion, representative Japanese green tech companies took advantage of the opportunity to display examples of their technology, distribute literature, and network with attendees from both the public and private sectors. Green Innovation Connect aims to create synergy between the local U.S.economy and Japanese firms, in order to help our society become more financially and environmentally stable.
The relationship between California and Japanis a particularly strong one in terms of environmental innovation and policy-making. To capitalize on these strengths, Green Innovation Connect also hosted its annual reception in conjunction with theSummit. Thanks to the organizational help of Keith Miller, publisher and one of the organizers of theSummit, Green Innovation Connect was able to attract Summit Board Members and California State Government Officials.
Providing keynote addresses were Linda Adams, Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, and Tomotaka Kuwahara, Consul at the Consulate General of Japan inSan Francisco. Both officials commented on the fact that the outpouring of support and friendship after the tragic Tohoku earthquake is no surprise given the fact that California and Japanhave such a long history of working together, based on economic, cultural, and personal exchange. Ms. Adams stated that California’s policies are the reason that green jobs are growing at 10 times the rate of other sectors of our economy in California. She said that Californiahas been the most energy efficient state for decades, having saved $56 billion for businesses and consumers with energy efficiency alone. Consul Kuwahara compared Japan and California, saying that just as Japan is a leader in green tech and other environmental related industries, no state in the U.S. is more important than Californiain leading innovations & environmental tech. Japan’s energy saving initiatives have succeeded because of the ability to use green tech to solve problems without sacrificing the economy or daily conveniences. Consul Kuwahara stated that green tech innovations and initiatives are part ofJapan’s new-growth economic strategy, and Japan’s industries are always ready to work together with Californiain advancing a greener state and a greener planet.
During the presentation portion of the reception, representatives from four of Green Innovation Connect’s participant companies– Daikin AC, Miura North America, Sanyo North America, and Shikoku International –gave speeches describing their firm’s innovations and technology.
Mr. Ryohei Hinokuma presented Daikin AC’s highly efficient HVAC technology. The company, which is the largest HVAC manufacturer in the world, possesses key variable speed technologies and variable refrigerant systems. With its variable speed technologies, the HVAC system can supply heating and cooling with a minimal amount of energy requirement. By adjusting the speed of the compressor, the system can provide up to 30% in energy savings. As opposed to a traditional HVAC system that runs at either 100% capacity or 0% (and sometimes 50%), Daikin systems can be adjusted to still provide cooling even at a variably slower operating pace. Additionally, Daikin’s variable refrigerant systems circulate refrigerant through small pipes to individual indoor units, meaning one can be providing cooling while the other is providing heating, and if nobody is using it, it can be completely shut down. With these energy-efficient technologies, Daikin AC can certainly help theUSmarket achieve greener buildings.
From Miura North America, Mr. Mario Endo talked about his company’s high-efficiency boilers. Traditional boilers, large cumbersome water tanks (nicknamed “firetubes”), are only efficient when they are operating at 100% capacity. When they are idle, they don’t produce any steam and efficiency levels drop. Miura’s boilers are very small and operate more like steam generators. They also heat up faster and emit less CO2, so they leave a smaller carbon footprint.
Mr. Aaron Fowles spoke about Sanyo North America’s push in the direction of smart grids with the integration of their lithium ion battery storage systems. These storage systems greatly reduce a building’s electricity-operating costs because they pull from a solar panel grid. The peak rate usage goes down and both the power and its associated costs are distributed more evenly. Mr. Fowles sees utility companies as Sanyo’s primary targets inCalifornia, as they are aiming for over 30% in renewable energy power generation by 2020.
The last speaker was Ms. Rosann Allenbaugh from Shikoku International Corporation. Ms. Allenbaugh introducedShikoku’s Eco de Vita line of sand-based and diatomaceous earth interior wall plasters. Diatomaceous earth is the fossilized remains of diatoms, which are a type of hard-shelled algae. Ms. Allenbaugh explained that all the products are SCS-certified Indoor Advantage Gold as a low-VOC product and beneficial for indoor air quality. The product is very porous; it’s very breathable and can help with humidity as well as being low in VOCs. She did not neglect to mention the aesthetic aspects of the plaster, describing in detail the beauty of the material and the source of the rice straw used to create the desired look.
At the end of the seminar Mr. Dave Walls, Executive Director of the California Building Standards Commission, delivered closing remarks. Mr. Walls has been instrumental in creating the California Green Building Standards Code. He and members of the Commission were able to convince theCaliforniabuilding industry and environmental groups of how important it is to enforce environmental regulations in the construction of new and existing buildings. Mr. Walls believes that CalGreen can serve as a great example to other states and countries on ways to green buildings and the economy. Green Innovation Connect was especially honored to have Mr. Walls provide these remarks, since Japanese green technology can certainly be put to good use in bringingCaliforniabuildings up to environmental code.
The reception andSummitwere successful events for all involved and Nikkei America/Green Innovation Connect hopes to have the opportunity to interact with such esteemed environmental technology experts again in the near future. CaliforniaandJapanare truly bringing us into a greener tomorrow.
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