Analysis of local energy demand-supply distribution and visualization of the energy spatial information toward smart community

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze energy consumption and supply on a prefectural scale, and to visualize and compare the regional energy demand-supply distribution considering potential of renewable energy. The final energy consumption and the final energy consumption per capita are related to the industrial sector. Total final energy consumption is reported to be 13,297 PJ, of which 6,136 PJ is used for the industrial sector. In the residential and commercial sector, population is the most effective on the final energy consumption. On the other hand, final energy consumption per capita in residential sector is tied to the climate: cold areas like Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Hokuriku have larger consumption than other areas. Energy expenditure per capita in residential sector is also large in cold areas; for instance, 98,581 JPY/capita is spent for energy in Hokkaido. The energy supply system in Japan depends on thermal power generation that is large scale-centralized; Chiba has the largest thermal power generation estimated at 390 PJ. By contrast, thermal power generation in Yamanashi is the smallest in Japan estimated at 0.5 PJ. Renewable resources are widely distributed in Japan, but renewable energy supply which is calculated at 374 PJ is very small. Onshore wind power and solar power have enough potential, evaluated at 2,985 PJ, to substitute thermal power plants. This study indicates that development of local energy systems, especially local heat supply system, is important to introduce local renewable energy, and introduction of renewable energy leads to more balanced regional energy demand-supply distribution.

Keywords

• energy maps
• energy demand
• energy supply
• renewable energy