Efforts to reduce CO2 emissions by promoting the use of renewable energy solar heating

Targets

7.2　By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix

7.a　By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology

13.1　Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

 

Initiative details

In recent years, the need has arisen to respond to new social issues such as global warming and climate change. Since our founding in 1917, we have been helping to build a prosperous society through manufacturing in markets such as petrochemicals, iron and steel manufacturing, and electric power plants, and since 2008, we have been proposing various solutions using solar heat, a form of renewable energy.
Solar heating systems are systems that use the sun’s heat to generate hot water and warm air for hot water supply and air conditioning and have an energy conversion efficiency three to four times higher than that of solar electricity generation. It is more efficient to convert sunlight directly into thermal energy than to convert the electricity produced by solar power into heat.
We are taking advantage of this to use solar heating as an auxiliary heat source for our hot water boilers. These systems have been installed in many facilities that use hot water boilers, such as hospitals, nursing homes, public bathhouses, heated swimming pools, and kitchens. By using solar heat in addition to fossil fuels such as the oil and gas that fuel existing boilers, we are ultimately reducing the amount of fossil fuels used as the main heat source for boilers, thereby reducing CO2 emissions.
Furthermore, several years ago we began constructing buildings with ZEB (*) specifications. Solar heat can be used not only for heating but also for cooling when combined with an absorption refrigerator. As such, the proposals that we make for solar heat include heating, cooling, and dehumidification systems.
*Net Zero Energy Building
These buildings aim to reduce the annual net energy consumption of the building to zero while providing a comfortable indoor environment.

 

Other proposals include desiccant air conditioners that use solar heat for dehumidification. These have already been adopted in office buildings, commercial facilities, government buildings, and libraries, as well as various other markets, such as floor heating for chicken coops and sludge drying in sewage treatment plants.

 

In order to also inform the general public of the benefits of solar heating, we have developed the solar cooker Eco-saku. The design of the Eco-saku is identical to that of solar heat collectors used for commercial purposes. When exposed to sunlight, the temperature can reach up to 300℃, allowing for various different kinds of cooking. Already selling more than 2,000 units a year, Eco-saku is popular not only for outdoor activities but also for environmental education and disaster prevention. Going forward, we plan to roll out Eco-saku overseas. Our hope is that people all over the world will become familiar with solar heating and that it will help promote a carbon-neutral society.

 

Key Points

Rather than making specific efforts to tackle the SDGs, it is important to be aware of them in our daily life and work. At Terada Iron Works, we tell our employees that with our solar thermal system business, we are working to resolve the two social issues listed in SDGs 7 and 13. This is something that we have been working on since before the SDGs were as well known as they are today. In addition, our exhaust gas desulfurization equipment for coal-fired thermal power plants, one of our main products, is helping to resolve the social problem of acid rain. It is important to explain how the company’s production activities are involved in resolving social issues, and we believe that by communicating this to employees, they will have the opportunity to think about how they can be involved in the social issues presented by the SDGs and what they can do to help.

 

Terada Iron Works Co., Ltd.

2-4-16 Shinhama-cho, Fukuyama

+81-084-953-0556

http://www.solars.jp