Benchmark Study on Green Buildings - Royal Architectural Institute ...

7.4 Japan:
Japan is one of the world’s leading countries in terms of green buildings because of its
willingness to experiment with new technologies and practices and because of its
commitment to sustainability and improving its environmental performance. Because
Japan is an island and all fossil fuel must be imported, they are trying very hard to
develop technology to harness the power available from renewable energy sources.
Japanese firms conduct extensive R&D on alternative energy projects such as fuel cell
technology, geothermal heat pumps, photovoltaic systems, and wind power generators to
reduce their dependence on increasingly expensive fossil fuels. The Government of Japan
creates policies and programs to promote energy conservation and efficiency through
such measures as the ECCJ’s Smart Life Program, National Energy Conservation Days,
National Energy Conservation Month, recognition programs for excellence in energy
efficiency practices, the annual ENEX Exhibition, the publication of guidelines to
improve residential energy efficiency, and more. There are also numerous initiatives in
place to help consumers find and purchase energy efficient products, including the
ECCJ’s Top Runner Program, the Energy Efficient Product Retailer Assessment System,
and the ECCJ’s online database allowing consumers to compare the energy conservation
performance of various appliances. Furthermore, Japan has two energy efficient product
labeling programs (the international Energy Star Program and the national Energy Saving
Labeling Program) to help consumers identify energy efficient products. So, it is clear
how concerned the government is with its people’s energy consumption habits, and how
strongly it is pushing for energy conservation and efficiency efforts in its country.
Subsidies and incentives for greening buildings also exist in Japan. Companies who
perform energy efficiency upgrades on their facilities can receive loans at reduced rates,
as can companies who install renewable energy generating systems. Home owners who
install PV systems on their roofs are also eligible for some cost-offsetting subsidies. The
Japanese Government also recognizes that they cannot effectively push for green
buildings if they do not make efforts in green buildings themselves. Therefore the
Government Green Buildings Program was developed by the MLIT to provide a plan for
the greening of government structures. Sustainability and resource efficiency policies are
also having an influence on schoolchildren. Through the Energy Conservation Education
Program, the Energy Conservation Republic Program and the Fifty-Fifty Program,
children are becoming aware of these issues and are becoming involved in efforts to
address them. The government’s goal through their programs aimed at schoolchildren is
to promote the development and maintenance of sustainable energy and resource
consumption habits from a young age. The ESCO market in Japan is also growing rapidly
due to the Japan Association of Energy Service Companies (JAESCO) and the increasing
societal value of energy efficiency. Other Japanese green building initiatives include
R&D on home and building energy management systems, free energy audits for SMEs
and commercial buildings, and the availability of zero-energy houses. Japan’s
technological expertise, innovation and concern for the environment make it one of the
places where green building breakthroughs are likely to occur.
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