Yasunori Kikuchi

Summary Plant‐derived renewable resources have the potential to enable the simultaneous generation of high‐value‐added products, such as foods, with energy, such as electricity and thermal power. Much of the heat cogenerated from renewables in power plants has been discarded because of the geographical and temporal gaps in heat supply and demand. In this study, we aim to devise an effective industrial symbiosis (IS) for a regional combined heating and power (CHP) plant utilizing local renewable

Biomass-derived chemical products are regarded as alternative materials because they substitute fossil resources for renewable resources. In this regard, the environmental impact originating from the production and consumption of the biomass-derived products should be assessed through life-cycle analysis, including biomass cultivation. In 2010, a commercial plant producing ethylene from sugarcane ethanol was constructed in Brazil and production of biomass-derived polyethylene (bio-PE) was starte

For risk-based decision making, local and global impacts should be considered simultaneously. In metal degreasing processes, various cleansing agents are used and a significant amount of such cleansing agents is released into the environment. An appropriate measure of reducing chemical risk associated with industrial cleaning processes should be implemented on the basis of evaluation results representing the local and global impacts. In this study, we assessed metal degreasing processes using a

Abstract Japan is faced with sustainability challenges such as resource security and depopulation. Well-coordinated, multifaceted actions including a shift from imported fossil to locally available renewable resources and empowering of rural areas are vital in tackling these challenges. Here, we present our co-learning approach to practice the multifaceted actions with a case study on Tanegashima, an isolated Japanese island. In these actions, thorough understanding of the feasible technologies,

Summary Distributed energy sources, such as self‐power generation, steam boilers, and combined heat and power production (CHP), are operated to manage the supply of energy by optimizing the costs of meeting the demand for electricity and heat. This article was written in conjunction with reports by the United Nations Environment Program's International Resource Panel that quantifies and compares the environmental and natural resource impacts and benefits of using demand‐side efficient technologi