Sustainable Towns

Sustainability Initiatives

Advanced Green Technology

Sustainability

Read more about Panasonic's sustainable smart town initiatives.


Suita Sustainable Smart Town Project

RE100 Brochure

Lighting Design Brochure

Pure Hydrogen Fuel Cell Brochure

Building Automation System Brochure


            <div class="field field--name-field-ces-body field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><h3>Sustainable smart town</h3>
<p>Scheduled for opening in 2022, the Suita Sustainable Smart Town (SST) is Panasonic’s third such endeavor following the Fujisawa SST and the Tsunashima SST in Japan.</p>
<h3>Panasonic’s approach to and goals for its SST projects</h3>
<p>Panasonic’s concept for a sustainable smart town is one where residing families can continue to live in comfort. Rather than focusing on infrastructure technologies, the idea is to create a town with residents’ lifestyles as the main focus.</p>
<p>Bringing together a range of elements – including energy, security, mobility and wellness – Panasonic proposes a smart community that considers residents’ comfort, regional characteristics, and future lifestyles. By designing an entire smart town (including homes and facilities) optimized to these conditions, Panasonic aims to build smart infrastructure to support new ways of living.</p>
<p>Through its development of eco-friendly, comfortable towns that incorporate the gifts of nature and facilitate safe, secure lifestyles over the long time, Panasonic will proactively roll out new smart town concepts both in Japan and abroad.</p>
<h3>Initiatives for the new Suita SST</h3>
<p>Panasonic is currently testing the viability of a commercial-use pure hydrogen fuel cell generator at the Tsunashima SST and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Village. From April 2022, Panasonic will continue testing at its plant in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, aiming to create an RE100 factory.</p>
<h3>Contributing to reduced CO<sub>2</sub> emissions through sustainable town development</h3>
<p><strong>Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town</strong></p>
<p>The Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town (SST) opened in 2014. In this SST, Panasonic is aiming for a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to 1990, and is thus currently engaged in a range of initiatives to achieve this target. These initiatives include the installation of solar panels, storage batteries, and energy-saving equipment in the town’s detached homes, facilities, and public areas.</p>
<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WqjF43on9HE" title="YouTube video player" width="800"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Tsunashima Sustainable Smart Town</strong></p>
<p>At Tsunashima, which opened in 2018, Panasonic is aiming for a 40% reduction in CO<sub>2</sub> emissions compared to 2005. To achieve this goal, it is promoting efforts to implement systems that save, create and store energy; mutually share energy; increase building insulation performance; and improve energy-saving awareness through visualization of energy usage.</p>
<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2YFk_6SOnMY" title="YouTube video player" width="800"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Suita Sustainable Smart Town</strong></p>
<p>The Suita SST is scheduled to open in spring 2022. Through control of demand and visualization of town-wide energy usage, Panasonic aims to promote lower energy consumption throughout the town. In addition, by bringing in energy from renewable sources to cover the whole town’s energy consumption, Panasonic aims to create a 100% renewable energy town.</p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-ces-body field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><h3>RE100 solution using pure hydrogen fuel cell generators</h3>
<p>Panasonic plans to demonstrate a renewable energy (RE) solution in which 100% of the electricity consumed in business activities is supplied from renewable sources. This is achieved by using an in-house power generation system combining pure hydrogen fuel cell generators, photovoltaic generators and storage batteries. This is the world's first<sub>1</sub> attempt to create an "RE100 factory" through the full-scale use of hydrogen.<sub>2</sub></p>
<p>Equipment composition can be customized depending on installation conditions, and demonstrations are scheduled to begin at an in-house factory in April 2022.</p>
<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e1RuXfkNrhc" title="YouTube video player" width="800"></iframe></p>
<h3>Use of renewable energy throughout the factory</h3>
<p>Current demonstration of the RE100 solution can generate 2.7 GWh of power. Five RE100 systems can cover the average energy consumption of one Panasonic factory.<sub>3</sub></p>
<h3>Proposing different RE100 solutions based on customer requirements</h3>
<p>Integrated control of the three pieces of equipment required for RE100 (as well as an energy management system) will be demonstrated at Kusatsu RE100. From an ESG perspective, the results of the Kusatsu RE100 demonstration will enable us to propose new solutions to customers requiring 100% renewable energy (factories, buildings, shops, etc.).</p>
<p><div data-embed-button="media" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:media.full" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="f5f767e1-0eab-4b98-b474-73318d398397" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity">      <img src="/us/sites/default/files/2022-01/Supply%20Chain_RE100_FC_Integrated%20control.jpg" width="1600" height="939" alt="Fuel cell integrated control" loading="lazy" /></div>
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<p><sub>1. Demonstration conducted with the full-scale use of hydrogen as a fuel for in-house power generation to supply the electricity required for factory operations (as of May 24, 2021, surveyed by Panasonic)</sub></p>
<p><sub>2. It is possible to achieve RE100 with the use of green hydrogen generated from renewable sources, including the use of energy attribute certificates. Panasonic will start the demonstration using hydrogen not derived from renewable sources, but will strive to achieve RE100 by eventually utilizing hydrogen from such sources.</sub></p>
<p><sub>3. Based on an estimate that operating rate of fuel cells is approximately 50%. With higher operating rate, its is possible to cover a larger factory using solely renewable energy</sub></p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-ces-body field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><h3>Pure hydrogen fuel cell generator</h3>
<p><strong>Full-scale use of hydrogen to contribute to the achievement of a decarbonized society</strong></p>
<p>Panasonic’s pure hydrogen fuel cell generator boasts the industry’s highest electrical efficiency at 56%. It also has a power output of 5 kW, which can also be increased by linking multiple generators. With a a strong track record in fuel cell batteries lasting many years and a history of outstanding reliability, Panasonic's accumulated expertise has been applied to this new product. Demonstrations are under way in various locations with an aim of creating hydrogen-based society.</p>
<p><strong>In operation and under demonstration</strong></p>
<p>At a demonstration in Yamanashi Prefecture, excess renewable energy generated at a solar power station is used to generate hydrogen, which is then supplied to pure hydrogen fuel cell generators installed at factories and commercial facilities. All three pure hydrogen fuel cell generators, each with an output of 5 kW, can produce approximately 90 kWh in total per day.</p>
<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e1RuXfkNrhc" title="YouTube video player" width="800"></iframe></p>
<p>HARUMI FLAG, the city complex to be built on the former site of the Olympic Village in Tokyo, will be home to genuine hydrogen infrastructure. Through collaborations with companies in other industries, hydrogen will be supplied via a pipeline to these pure hydrogen fuel cell generators. The city has a total of five blocks, including four residential blocks and one commercial block. Six of these 5 kW generators will be installed in all four of the city’s residential blocks, for a total power generation capacity of 120 kW. The power generated is to be used in the lighting and air conditioning of common areas.</p>
<p><strong>Effective use of energy and a hydrogen-based society</strong></p>
<p>As global use of renewable energy increases, the storage and usage of hydrogen generated through the electrolysis of water using surplus power will also increase. Pure hydrogen fuel cell generators can be used due to their ability to regulate power supply.</p>
<p>The ability to link multiple pure hydrogen fuel cell batteries allows the product to be used for a wide range of applications. Along with the the ability to link multiple units based on space, another advantage includes generating the desired output.</p>
<p><div data-embed-button="media" data-entity-embed-display="entity_reference:media_thumbnail" data-entity-embed-display-settings="amp_metadata_content_image_min_696px_wide" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="00c185cf-e1dc-460f-81f2-090ed1fbcd3d" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity">  <img src="/us/sites/default/files/styles/amp_metadata_content_image_min_696px_wide/public/2022-01/Town_Pure%20Hydrogen%20FC_Graphics%20KIBOU%20%281%29.jpg?itok=6oFxUoUq" width="696" height="696" alt="A pure hydrogen fuel cell generator" loading="lazy" /></div>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-ces-body field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><h3>Unique lighting design that supports decarbonization for the Japanese Market</h3>
<p>Panasonic is using luminance design to provide appropriate lighting in the appropriate places. Through use of light sensors, motion sensors, adjustable light and tone, and control technologies, we're aiming to lower energy consumption and in turn promote decarbonization.*</p>
<h4>By combining lighting design and other technologies, Panasonic can lower CO<sub>2</sub> emissions by various building situations.</h4>
<p><strong>Key Features:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Lower energy consumption while maintaining comfort:</strong> Through use of lighting design based on Feu – a spatial brightness measurement – as well as use of task and ambient lighting to provide the appropriate lighting in the appropriate places, Panasonic has enabled lower energy consumption while maintaining comfort. Energy-saving rate of approx. 15%<sup>†</sup> to achieve the same Feu measurement.</li>
<li><strong>Sensor-based lighting:</strong> Panasonic is contributing to decarbonization by adjusting levels of light through use of light sensors, and ensuring that lighting is only on when necessary through use of motion sensors.</li>
<li><strong>Adjustable brightness and color temperature:</strong> Lighting schedules can be set based on time and location, and the resulting automatic adjustment of light and tone can contribute to decarbonization. Adjustable tone series energy saving rate of approximately 20%<sup>‡</sup>
</li>
</ul>
<p><sub>*Sales and services only available in Japan.</sub></p>
<p><sub>†Comparison between sixty-eight (68) XLX455FHNP ceiling-embedded lights and one hundred eight (108) NNF41200 directly-mounted stationary base lights with 65% dimming. Installation conditions: W 33 m x D 8 m x H 2.8 m; reflection coefficient 70%, wall 30%, floor 10%.</sub></p>
<p><sub>‡Adjustable tone series, square ceiling system type (custom made product). Adjustable light and tone control: 8:00–14:00: 5,000 K (100%) / 14:00–17:30: Gradual adjustment of light and tone, 3,000 K (50%) / 17:30–20:00: 3,000 K (50%). Between 8:00 and 20:00, comparisons and energy-saving calculations were made using fixed conditions: 5,000 K at 750 lx</sub></p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-ces-body field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><h3>Building automation systems (for the Japanese Market)</h3>
<p>Integrated management of building equipment can help reduce energy consumption. Through a wide-ranging product lineup that caters to various building sizes and specific equipment, Panasonic is supporting the switch to zero-energy buildings.*</p>
<p><strong>Key Features:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Integrated management of building equipment:</strong> Through comprehensive monitoring and control of equipment for lighting, electricity, air conditioning, power, energy measurement, and more, the system enables integrated management of equipment operation and reduced energy consumption.</li>
<li><strong>Wide-ranging lineup:</strong> Single controller types and multiple integrated controller types cater to a range of different buildings.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Building automation systems for reinforced energy-saving measures and efficient CO2 reductions</h3>
<p><strong>In-house demonstrations</strong></p>
<p>Through 17 years of energy-saving measures at our in-house facilities in Japan, we have reduced CO2 emissions by 57.2%.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Phase 1 (2003–2009) - General energy-saving measures:</strong> Partial lighting, switching off air conditioning, frequent schedule changes</li>
<li><strong>Phase 2 (2010–2018) - Advanced energy-saving measures:</strong> Adjustment of outside air, adjustment of inverter output, adjustment of vent temperature</li>
<li><strong>Phase 3 (2019 onward) - State-of-the-art energy-saving measures:</strong> Efforts by a specialist organization to improve equipment (changing air conditioning control methods, etc.)</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><sub>*Sales and services only available in Japan</sub></p>
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