Energy harvesting project in Japan aims to monitor and capture “unused energy”
- BASF supports “Energy Harvesting Demonstration Project” by Japan’s Energy Harvesting Consortium
- Demonstration project initiated by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
Tokyo, Japan – December 19, 2014 – BASF will support “ Development of novel applications of innovative electronic devices through demonstration and standardization (Energy harvesting demonstration project) ” at its Totsuka plant in Japan. The project, which will be held in the second half of 2015, aims to monitor small amounts of “unused” ambient energy such as light, vibration and heat, which can potentially be captured and converted to electricity. The project is initiated by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and implemented by the Energy Harvesting Consortium (EHC).
Under the project, an autonomous power generation device will be installed at BASF’s plant in Totsuka, to power wireless sensor nodes for energy conservation applications. The data collected will be analyzed and used to control the HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) systems and maintain plant facilities predictively. In the long run, BASF and the Energy Harvesting Consortium intend to help develop and explore sustainable society through the use of energy harvesting technology. Using such technology can capture and convert into electricity various forms of ambient energy such as light, heat (temperature differences), vibrations, and radio waves that would otherwise be lost.
The overall initiative, commissioned by NEDO, began in August 2014 in Japan, and will run over a two-year period until June 2016. The objective of the initiative is to encourage business sectors to disseminate energy-saving solutions such as energy harvesting sensor systems.
There are numerous possibilities for energy harvesting in everyday life. Developers from all around the world are working on innovative pilot projects. In line with its corporate purpose, “We create chemistry for a sustainable future”, BASF will continue to look into different energy harvesting solutions to maximize energy use in Japan.
About Energy Harvesting Consortium (EHC)
EHC is a consortium that aims for early realization of energy harvesting technology as Japan’s internationally competitive business by combining strengths of companies in Japan.EHC was founded jointly by initiated companies on May 14, 2010. EHC will promote activities to support Japanese companies that possess superior element technology to conduct research and development and experimental proof, and commercialize and put to practical use high-quality products by integrating their technology with energy storage technology, wireless technology, etc., which are areas of energy harvesting technology that fall behind Europe and the United States.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of about €74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com
