Synopsis: Week 1
The GSE team’s first week in Japan has been tightly packed with site visits, information exchange, meeting with dignitaries and elected officials, and Rotary meetings.
Upon arriving in Sendai City, Miagi Prefecture, Japan, our Colorado GSE team from District 5450 has been on the move, nonstop. Our gracious and wonderful Japanese hosts from District 2520 have set up a tight curriculum for our single focus exchange on renewable and sustainable industries, yet have orchestrated all the logistics to ensure that our travelling team is well-fed, rested, and able to be expedited to each location–so as we can remain focused on the goals of the exchange. D2520 Rotarians have been wonderful and amazingly hospitable to this end. Domo arigato gozamasu!
Our whirlwind exchange is nearing the end of the first week of intensive studies. During this time we have gained a strong overview of:
- City of Morioka –green initiatives
- Iwate Prefecture –dedication to advancing green technologies
- Kowai Closed-Loop Biomass Facility–creating energy from organic matter discards
- City of Ninohe –green initiatives and solar installations
- Iwate Hospital –energy efficiency, green roof, and solar initiative
- Kashiwadai Hydro-Electric Power Station –in-line small hydro facility generating 13,100kW in the three stations, interesting to note: facility on National Park land and strong efforts to keep visual impairment of facilities from public eye
- Green Power Kuzumaki –wind farm in Kuzumaki
- Kashiwadai Kougen –biomass energy production for kougen facilities
Thus far, take-aways from this experience have illustrated that there are a number of advances in renewable energy that the government and businesses of northeastern Japan have taken. A number of incentive programs for solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption, similar to those we have in the US, have resulted in stimulating the purchase of systems for government buildings and beta model test applications. They have an expressed roadblock in achieving economy of scale and targeted packaged programming to drive the residential solar PV market.
The biomass operations that we have seen have been modest in scale and have had a closed-loop application. Organic matter coming from the main farming facilities, being composted and digested for methane capture, transfer of methane to alternating current electricity, and reapplication of nutrient-rich soil amendment following the methane capture process.
The in-line hydro-electric facility was very impressive in it’s attention to utilizing the kinesis of the river current and balancing the environmental degredation that can result from hydro facilities. A large majority of the in-line system was masked by facility design to blend in to the natural environment and conduit is largely underground and, therefore, unseen by the National Park visitors the facilities are housed within.
Our travelling Colorado D5450 GSE team looks forward to continuing our intensive single focus study in the coming weeks. Our team sends a continued gratitude to the Rotarians of D5450; Governor Mike Oldham; the GSE selection team and leader, Connie Holden; and our Rotary host team of D2520; Japan GSE travelling team from D2520 and leader Kasai Akihiko.
-Spenser Villwock
Great Summary, Spencer san!
I am impressed with the depth and breadth of the experiences that you are having. I will be expressing our gratitude to the organizers. We are busy preparing for the arrival of the team from Japan. The Peruvian team is here and busy doing their first presentation this morning. Your blog is great. Stay in touch.