Development of an integrated renewable energy system with district heating: A comparative study between Japan and Denmark

Link to Journal Paper 

Denmark provides advanced reference case of energy systems integrating heating and electricity infrastructure. On the other hand, Japan largely relies on the electricity-centered infrastructure. As a result, waste heating from the industrial sector as well as power generation is not effectively utilized, even though the source fuels are imported from overseas. To explore potential solutions to this issue, a comparative study between Denmark, Japan as a whoke and Hokkaido ｰthe northenmost prefecture of Japanｰ is conducted using the EnergyPLAN model. In this research, two scenarios ｰbusiness-as-usual and implementing district heating and combined heat and power (CHP) systemsｰ are developed and compared with Denmark’s future scenarios such as IDA2045. In addition, a seismic risk assessment is conducted to reflect the Japan’s specific characteristics. This article provides valuable insights for Japan as well as for other countries that struggle with the same issues.