Japan. Wind energy is limitless, purely domestic energy that is available in wide ranges of area, even though it has a difficulty in its stability due to thefluctuation in direction and speed.
We used this energy in sailing ships for several thousands of years, and until recently, we have been using it in water pumping and flour mills. In modern days, we are incorporating many ideas and theories for windmill and wind power generation, and new windmills full of latest technologies like impeller shape based on aerodynamics, etc. are available, and people are starting to use them for power generation.
Wind energy is limitless, purely domestic energy that is available in wide ranges of area, even though it has a difficulty in its stability due to thefluctuation in direction and speed.
We used this energy in sailing ships for several thousands of years, and until recently, we have been using it in water pumping and flour mills. In modern days, we are incorporating many ideas and theories for windmill and wind power generation, and new windmills full of latest technologies like impeller shape based on aerodynamics, etc. are available, and people are starting to use them for power generation.
Today, for wind generation, we mainly use propeller type spinner because of the higher efficiency ratio. But we have Darrieus type, too.
In wind generation system where we convert wind energy to electric energy, the impeller coverts the wind force to mechanical driving force, and then the force is transmitted to dynamo to generate electric energy.
In Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, we have carried out technical development of wind generating system with Sunshine Scheme from 1976 to 2000 (from 1993, it was New Sunshine Scheme), and carried out activities like the study of 100kW class wind generation plant in Miyake Island from 1981 to 1986, development of large-size generating system from 1990 to 1998, and development of small island wind generating system from 1999.
Number of wind generator installation in Japan exceeded 260 cases as of end of March 2001, with the output of app. 144MW. Until then, the majority of installations were for test study purpose or for demonstration purpose in Power Company, local public body or the government. But as surplus power buy-in system by the electric power company set forth in 1992, and guideline on system link technical requirement introduced in 1993, these years people are allowed to sell generated electricity to the power company, and we see increased number of installations for power selling business.
On the other hand, the biggest wind generation user in the world is Germany where they have app. 6,100MW capacity, and the USA, the second with app. 2,600MW (both at the end of 2000), which is way higher than Japan. Therefore, we are providing politic assistance for further promotion of the system.
[Changes in Wind Generation Volume in Japan]
Note:Active wind generation systems with capacity of 10kW or more.
The biggest difficulty in Japan in introducing wind generation is the high generating cost due to low utilization, caused by the greater disturbance in the atmosphere, as compared with European nations and America where it is well prevailed. With regard to the situation, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry started in 1995 "wind energy development field test project (currently, wind generation field test project), and carried out detailed surveys on wind condition in the promising area for wind generation installed and operated wind generators for research activities like collecting data, etc. Moreover, from 1997, we started to provide subsidy on installation cost for local public bodies with "local new Energy introduction promotion project", and for civilian business operators with "new Energy business support project".
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