• Energy Research

Abstract Following the dominant firm-competitive fringe model, this paper analyses the response of Japan’s nonrenewable electricity utilities to the renewable portfolio standards (RPS) and feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme. The output of electricity from renewable energy sources (RES-E) is primarily correlated with the magnitude of the RPS requirement and the fixed tariff. Nonrenewable firms suffer a reduction in revenue due to increased RES-E production under both schemes. The RPS requirement has direct impact on the renewable energy certificate (NEC) price. If the incumbent nonrenewable electricity utilities gain market power in both electricity and NEC markets, they can suppress the RPS quota to preserve their vested benefits. In the FIT scheme, the above-market RES-E generation cost is passed on to consumers via a surcharge. Since grid-connected RES-E accelerated rapidly under FIT, nonrenewable electricity utilities would face a substantial increase in costs to maintain network reliability due to the intermittent and variable nature of RES-E technologies. The Japanese government should therefore take measures to ensure variable renewable power occupies a higher share of the electricity system, and to do so in a cost-effective manner.

AbstractElectric power demand management will play an important role in the creation of smart-energy communities. We are conducting a field experiment on the real-time feedback of electric power consumption via smart meters and tablet PCs with the participation of 51 households on Nushima Island, one of Japan's remote islands. Our estimate of the effect of feedback in reducing power demand by panel data analysis has revealed that such feedback achieves a saving of 7.6 percent in electric power demand.

This study aims to explore the relationship between renewable energies and the electric power spot price of the Japan Electric Power Exchange (JEPX). By using panel data analysis and proxy modeling, this work attempts to estimate how renewable energies (displayed through the proxies) and other factors influence the electric power spot price in Japan. Based on an analysis of the estimations, some policy implications have been proposed, such as to incorporate weather information into the price forecast, or to provide a guide to more effectively transact on the JEPX.

Abstract The Chinese government plans to adopt a low or no subsidy policy mechanism on renewable energy power development in the future. To achieve a balance between reducing financial burden on the government and ensuring profitability of investors as well as to account for the regional differences in China, a novel regional wind power grid feed-in tariff benchmark price mechanism by Net Present Value (NPV) method and Real Option (RO) method is proposed in this paper. The results voice support on the appropriateness of gradually decreasing the wind feed-in tariff (FIT) benchmark price to as low as the coal-fired FIT. The proposed FIT price level is presented as a price range on the basis of a guaranteed Internal Rate of Return (IRR) falls in between 8% to 15% for wind power investors. The results indicate that the current FIT price should be readjusted and redistributed. Although the FIT price in Central and South China grids is recommended to be relatively high, the NPV of wind farm project value in six regional grids are at the same level.

Abstract To tackle global climate stabilization concretely, we have developed a method formulating long-term scenarios towards a low-carbon economy at local level. As a result of the pioneering application of this method to Shiga Prefecture, we have found the following: (i) it is possible to design scenarios for moving towards a low-carbon economy in which CO 2 emission is lowered by 30–50% from the 1990 level by 2030, while the prefecture's gross production continues to grow by 1.6% annually; (ii) in order to halve the emission by 2030, socio-economic structural changes as well as technological measures are essential; and (iii) innovative measures at the prefectural level, such as land planning, renewable energy promotion and lifestyle change, play an increasingly important role as the target reduction rate gets higher.

The aim of this research was to investigate how consumer behavior changes after application of dynamic electricity pricing and the persistence of those changes. Based on the investigation results, the authors also discuss the policy implications of demand management to shift consumption to days that have more solar radiation, while at the same time reducing overall consumption. The dynamic pricing experiment was implemented on Nushima Island, located in the center of Japan, with the participation of 50 households. The methodologies used in this study are panel analysis with random effects, and the difference in differences method. Several linear regression analyses are performed to predict hourly electricity usage from a number of explanatory variables, such as life-style factors, the frequency of access to the visualization website, control for weather factors (wind speed and temperatures), and other attributes of the households to predict the log of hourly electric energy consumption. The results show that dynamic pricing brought about 13.8% reduction of electric energy consumption in comparison with the pre-experiment period. Also, by applying a new experimental design approach, this study finds data supportive of habit formation by participants. Based on the findings, this research tries to develop a policy for sustainable energy conservation in remote islands.

The objective of the paper is to figure out the nexus between renewable energy consumption and sustainable economic development for emerging and developing countries. In this paper, a panel of 30 emerging and developing countries is selected using the World Development Indicators (WDI) of the World Bank, Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) by Ernst and Young, and a random selection method based on the current trend of renewable energy consumption for five different regions of the world i.e., Asia, South-Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean. To achieve the objective, robust panel econometric models such as the Pesaran cross-section dependence (CD) test, second generation panel unit root test, e.g., cross-sectional augmented IPS test (CIPS) proposed by Pesran (2007), panel co-integration test, fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) are applied to check the cross-sectional dependence, heterogeneity and long-term relationship among variables. The panel is strongly balanced and the findings suggest a significant long-run relationship between renewable energy consumption and economic growth for selected South Asian, Asian and most of the African countries (Ghana, Tunisia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Cameroon). But for the Latin American and the Caribbean countries, economic growth depends on non-renewable energy consumption. Renewable energy consumption in the selected countries of these two regions are still at the initial stage. In case of the renewable energy consumption and CO 2 emissions nexus, for selected South Asian, Asian, Latin American and African countries both GDP and non-renewable energy consumption cause the increase of CO 2 emissions. For the Caribbean countries only non-renewable energy consumption causes the increase of CO 2 emissions. An important finding regarding renewable energy consumption-economic growth nexus indicates the existence of bi-directional causality. This supports the existence of a feedback hypothesis for the emerging and developing economies. In the case of renewable energy consumption- CO 2 emissions nexus, there exists unidirectional causality. This supports the existence of the conservation hypothesis, where CO 2 emissions necessitates the renewable energy consumptions. Based on the findings, the study proposes possible policy options. The countries, who have passed the take-off stage of renewable energy consumption, can take advanced policy initiatives e.g., feed-in tariff, renewable portfolio standard and green certificate for long-term economic development. Other countries can undertake subsidy, low interest loan and market development to facilitate the renewable energy investments.

Socially responsible investing (SRI) reap the benefits of a social consensus and is often presented as a solution to conciliate finance and sustainable development. This article investigates the performance and resilience of both socially responsible and conventional funds listed in the Japan Investment Trust Association (JITA) during two economic shocks (the U.S. election and Brexit) in 2016. To see the immediate reaction in fund performance around different shocks, an event study with market model using ordinary least square (OLS), an event study with market model using exponential generalized autoregressive heteroscedasticity (EGARCH) and an event study with Fama–French multi-factor model was used to avoid common features of return data such as non-normality, heteroscedasticity, and cross-correlation. This study found that the recent U.S. election had a significant positive effect whereas the Brexit referendum event had a significant negative shock on fund returns in Japan around the event window. It is evident from the empirical findings that, compared to conventional funds, socially responsible funds were more resilient to uncertainty around the recent U.S. presidential election whereas conventional funds were more sensitive during the Brexit referendum. The important implications of these findings are the optimal strategies of institutional or individual investors who have direct or indirect exposure to the fund volatility risk in Japan.