Session 2-3
	Energy Conservation Classes to Change Local Communities 　Mr. Osamu Nakamura, Local Cycle Research Center (Assoc.Prof., Faculty of Environmental Science, Nagasaki University)

An NPO Able to Produce 'Good Jobs' in Local Society

　 An NPO, the ‘Local Circulation Research Center’ was founded mainly by my research circle at Nagasaki University, with a purpose to create ‘good jobs’ in the local community. It is four years old, and this year, finally, we managed to have a credit balance in the account. Our activities include: the development of a 'Food Life-Cycle' Education Program (teaching schoolchildren about the use of human waste to fertilize crops,and encourage them to eat such produce) commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery; the introduction of a simplified version of EMS (environmental management system) to Kunimi High School in Oita Prefecture; the establishment of ‘Energy Conservation Vision’ in Tabira Town, Nagasaki Prefecture, and also of ‘New Energy Vision’ in Shiida Town, Fukuoka Prefecture; and the implementation of the ‘Creating Circulating Society’ project in Mitsuse Village, Saga Prefecture.


　Cost-Effective Performance through Energy Conservation Classes

　For four years now, we have organized an ‘Energy Conservation Class’ at a primary school in Oki Town, Fukuoka Prefecture. One day, it was reported that two classes in the 5th grade had saved 1,000kWh in one week. While thinking how to describe this high-level cost-effectiveness to school children, we remembered that a solar power generator was installed on the rooftop of the school. This 10kW generator required 15 million yen for its installation, and produced 1,000kWh per month. The electricity saved by the children can be calculated as 4,000kWh per month, which could be worth 60 million yen (equivalent to 4 solar-power generators). When we told this to the school children, they were thrilled. But the town office showed rather a bemused response.


　A Proposal to Reform the Community

　There is a plan in Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture, that the 'Energy Conservation Class' mentioned above will be carried out from 2004 as one of the city's measures to prevent global warming. Under this new policy, the curriculum for the class will include an external audit of the City Council and the local shops by children who have studied and been trained in the class, and part of the money saved by conserving energy will be given back to the schools. Normally energy conservation at a primary school can reduce the electricity charge by at least 300,000 or 400,000 yen. Even if the city returns 200,000 yen to the school, it will not make a loss.

An 'Invisible Power Station' for citizens has been also planned. Children who have been trained in the Energy Conservation Class are able to reduce the contract ampere by 10A, which in fact is the equivalent amount of electricity a 1kW solar power generator can produce. Thus we call this invisible energy creation an 'Energy Conservation Power Generator'. During the last 5 years, we persuaded 500 households to reduce electricity use by 10A. Maybe the amount sounds rather small, but this is merely the absolute minimum. The installation of a 500kW solar power generator would cost half a billion yen (supposing that one million yen is needed per 1kW). Yamaga City is aiming at the same result at a cost of 5 million yen. Under this project, too, there are plans to offer a rebate to households which successfully reduce electricity use by 10A. or four years now, we have organized an ‘Energy Conservation Class’ at a primary school in Oki Town, Fukuoka Prefecture. One day, it was reported that two classes in the 5th grade had saved 1,000Wh in one week. While thinking how to describe this high-level cost-effectiveness to school children, we remembered that a solar power generator was installed on the rooftop of the school. This 10kW generator required 15 million yen for its installation, and produced 1,000kWh per month. The electricity saved by the children can be calculated as 4,000kWh per month, which could be worth 60 million yen (equivalent to 4 solar-power generators). When we told this to the school children, they were thrilled. But the town office showed rather a bemused response.

Energy Conservation Education Program in Oki Town, Fukuoka Prefecture