Many of us talk about that fateful day when energy shortages will be a reality, and some have definitely experienced brownouts or blackouts during the 100-degree days of summer. Japan, however, had reality hit hard after the 2011 tsunami and nuclear plant meltdown. After mandatory power cuts, it’s not surprising the country has some extra fire in the belly to expand renewable energy and energy storage systems.
Quickly embracing this demand, Kyocera and Nichicon have combined forces to produce a residential home energy management system that integrates Kyocera’s solar panels and energy management system and Nichicon’s power storage unit into a system that the companies say provides reliable power for homes and balance for the utility grid.
While lowering the nation’s carbon footprint is part of Japan’s motivation for embracing renewable energy, addressing the issue of electricity supply instability is equally urgent, prompting investment in ways to store energy as well as produce it on-site. At a joint press conference with Nichicon, Kyocera President Tetsuo Kuba said the company will use its energy-management technology “to launch this new comprehensive system for optimizing residential energy use, and thus make a real contribution to preventing climate change.”