Japan

Lazard explains in a new report that the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) is normally lower for green hydrogen than for pink hydrogen, using both PEM and alkaline electrolyzers, with or without subsidies. Meanwhile, Australian authorities are trying to increase the competitiveness of the local hydrogen sector, while car companies are updating their fuel cell plans.

Japan’s Toshiba has shared the results of a “future-proof” housing project in the United Kingdom. It combined two 11 kW air-source heat pumps in a five-bedroom house in Chester, England, with a 16 kW PV system and an 11 kW battery. The property is reportedly energy neutral in the summer months.

Idemitsu Kosan is leading a four-year demonstrator to assess the viability of solar carports for EV recharging at Tanegashima Airport in Japan. The 54.7 kW solar facility will sell power to airport buildings via a power purchase agreement (PPA) and to EV users under a pay-as-you-go billing system.

Japanese researchers have fabricated a heterojunction (HJT) solar cell with silicon and a polymer material known as PEDOT:PSS under room temperature conditions. It has an efficiency of 10.1%, an open-circuit voltage of 0.57 V, a short-circuit current density of 33.3 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 0.53.

Daikin has started building its first heat pump factory in Lodz, Poland. The Japanese heating manufacturer will invest €300 million ($327.2 million) in the new facility, which is expected to start operations in July 2024.

Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy says that hydrogen pipelines will be “far better” than vessels at moving hydrogen over short- and medium-range distances in the years ahead.

PV Expo and the wider Smart Energy Week wrapped up in Tokyo last week. It revealed ambitious plans for solar and energy storage installations in Japan, including creative approaches to dealing with a severe lack of space for new installations, which should bring plenty of opportunities for domestic and international players.

Mitsubishi Electric has developed an air-source heat pump that uses propane (R290) as the refrigerant. It can produce between 5 kW and 8.5 kW of heat and domestic hot water to a temperature of up to 75 C.

In its bid to develop fuel cells for aircraft with over 100 seats within 24 months, ZeroAvia has revealed record-breaking hydrogen fuel cell performance tests. Meanwhile, Universal Hydrogen and local partners are teaming up to build hydrogen infrastructures for aviation in Japan amid a push towards hydrogen infrastructure and mobility.

A flat year for solar installation numbers in Japan could be seen as positive in a nation switching to new PV business models, writes Izumi Kaizuka, director of research for Japanese solar consultancy RTS Corp.