Panasonic testing new energy management system to combine solar, heat pumps, batteries – pv magazine International

Report on Panasonic’s Residential Energy Management System Initiative and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Executive Summary

• Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic is conducting pilot tests for a new Energy Management System (EMS) designed to integrate residential photovoltaic (PV) systems with heat pumps and battery storage.
• The initiative, undertaken in collaboration with Eneos, aims to maximize the self-consumption of renewable energy, directly supporting key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

2.0 Project Overview and Strategic Partnership

• Geographic Focus: The initial pilot projects are being implemented in the Tokyo metropolitan area, targeting urban energy consumption patterns to advance SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
• Collaborative Framework: The project involves a strategic partnership with Japanese oil giant Eneos. Panasonic is deploying its HEMS/BEMS batteries at the homes and businesses of Eneos clients, leveraging existing customer networks to accelerate the transition to cleaner energy.
• System Components: The system provides remote control over integrated components, including heat pump water heaters, air conditioning units, and battery storage systems.

3.0 Technological Approach and Core Objectives

The EMS utilizes proprietary algorithms to achieve its sustainability objectives. The primary goals are:

1. Enhance Renewable Energy Utilization: To increase the utilization rate of renewable energy by intelligently managing the charging and discharging of batteries to maximize the self-consumption of solar power. This directly addresses the targets of SDG 7.
2. Promote Energy Efficiency: To optimize the operation of high-consumption appliances like heat pumps and air conditioners, aligning their energy use with periods of high solar generation, which supports SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
3. Assess Economic Viability: To evaluate the profitability of electricity market transactions and identify potential cost reductions for consumers, ensuring the solution is economically sustainable and contributes to affordable energy access under SDG 7.

4.0 Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This initiative makes significant contributions to several global sustainability targets:

• SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): The project’s central aim is to increase the share of renewable energy in the residential mix and improve energy efficiency, making clean energy more reliable and accessible.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): By deploying this technology in a major urban center, the project provides a scalable model for creating sustainable, resilient, and inclusive urban energy systems.
• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): The EMS empowers consumers to manage their energy use more efficiently, fostering sustainable consumption patterns and reducing waste in the energy system.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): By maximizing the use of solar power and reducing reliance on the grid, the system directly mitigates climate change by lowering greenhouse gas emissions from the residential sector.

5.0 Context of Previous Sustainable Innovations

This project is consistent with Panasonic’s ongoing commitment to developing technologies that support global climate and energy goals. Related innovations include:

• Eco Cute CO2 Heat Pump: A previously released product equipped with a solar radiation shift function to synchronize hot water production with rooftop PV generation.
• Aquarea Heat Pump Integration: The incorporation of home energy management solutions, including smart thermostats, into its Aquarea air-to-water heat pumps to optimize energy performance in residential and commercial buildings.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses several issues that directly and indirectly connect to a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary focus on renewable energy technology, energy efficiency, and partnerships for sustainable innovation links the article to the following SDGs:

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The core of the article is about a new energy management system (EMS) designed to increase the use of solar energy. By combining solar generation with heat pumps and batteries, the system aims to make clean energy more accessible and efficient for residential use.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The article highlights Panasonic’s development of an innovative technology—the EMS with “proprietary algorithms.” This represents an industrial effort to create sustainable infrastructure (smart energy systems in homes) and promote clean technologies.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The pilot projects are being implemented in the “Tokyo metropolitan area” in “PV-powered homes and businesses.” This initiative contributes to making urban environments more sustainable by improving energy management and increasing renewable energy use within city dwellings.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The system’s goal to “increase residential PV self-consumption” promotes more responsible and efficient consumption of energy. It shifts the pattern from relying solely on grid power to producing and consuming clean energy locally.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: By promoting the adoption of solar power and energy-efficient technologies like heat pumps, the initiative directly contributes to climate change mitigation. Increasing the use of renewable energy reduces reliance on fossil fuels, thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article explicitly mentions that the pilot projects are being carried out with the “support of Japanese oil giant Eneos.” This collaboration between an electronics manufacturer and an energy company is a clear example of a private-sector partnership to advance sustainable technology.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 7.2: “By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.”
   • The article directly supports this target by describing a system whose stated aim is to “increase the utilization rate of renewable energy by maximizing self-consumption of solar power.”
2. Target 7.3: “By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.”
   • The EMS, which combines solar generation, heat pumps, and batteries, is designed to optimize energy use in homes. This focus on efficient energy management aligns with improving energy efficiency.
3. Target 9.4: “By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies…”
   • Panasonic’s development and testing of a new EMS for residential buildings is a direct example of upgrading infrastructure with clean and resource-efficient technology.
4. Target 11.6: “By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities…”
   • By implementing this technology in the Tokyo metropolitan area, the project helps reduce the environmental footprint of urban households through cleaner energy consumption.
5. Target 12.2: “By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.”
   • The system promotes the efficient use of solar energy, a natural resource, by ensuring that the power generated by residential PV systems is consumed on-site as much as possible.
6. Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…”
   • The partnership between Panasonic and Eneos to test and deploy this technology exemplifies the private-private partnerships needed to achieve sustainability goals.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article, while not a formal report, mentions or implies several metrics that can serve as indicators to measure the success and progress of the initiative towards the identified targets:

• Utilization rate of renewable energy: The article explicitly states that Panasonic aims to “increase the utilization rate of renewable energy.” This can be measured as the percentage of solar energy generated that is consumed on-site versus being sent back to the grid.
• Level of self-consumption of solar power: This is directly mentioned as a primary goal (“maximizing self-consumption of solar power”). It can be measured by tracking the amount of electricity a household consumes from its own solar panels.
• Profitability and operational viability: The article notes that Panasonic will “assess the profitability and operational viability of electricity market transactions.” This economic indicator is crucial for measuring the sustainability and scalability of the solution.
• Cost reductions: The mention of assessing “potential cost reductions” implies that a key success metric will be the financial savings for consumers, which would encourage wider adoption of the technology.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: pv-magazine.com