smart house

Old Japanese House

Japan Moves Quickly Toward Energy-Efficient Buildings

By Hiroyuki Arie, General Manager, Business Stream Systems at TÜV Rheinland Japan   Fire, typhoon and earthquake resistance of buildings has long been of paramount importance in Japan. This is partly because for a long period of time, the majority of structures were lightly made of wood. If a house caught fire in the Edo period (1603–1868), firefighters often chose […]

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Smart Grid - Electricity - VPP

Internet of Things: Better Electricity Supply and Demand Efficiency in Japan – Part 2

By Frank Piller, General Manager Products at TÜV Rheinland Japan   Demand response and virtual power plants (VPP) are expected to play a crucial role in the future, as outlined in METI’s latest Innovative Energy Strategy whitepaper. This article continues our discussion started here. Communication Standards for Demand Response In May 2013, a METI-sponsored workshop established the “Demand Response Interface […]

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Japanese Smart House Technologies

The Smart House – Japanese Technology and Standards

By Frank Piller, General Manager Products at TÜV Rheinland Japan   Protecting the environment, conserving energy and reducing carbon emissions are global challenges. In Japan too, various sectors, including the government, are aggressively addressing these difficult issues. The Japanese government has recently introduced a variety of measures to reduce energy consumption at home, in order to promote energy conservation by […]

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