National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Selects ETAP Real-Time Microgrid Management System for Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute

July 1, 2015 | By Business Wire News

IRVINE, Calif.

ETAP^®, the leading provider of software solutions for the design, optimization, and on-line operation of mission-critical electrical power infrastructure, today announced that Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute, FREA has deployed ETAP Real-Time™ software for a wide range of power management operations for its Main Research Facilities in Fukushima, Japan.

Basic Policy of Reconstruction was issued by the Japanese government after the Great East Japan Earthquake which drove National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, AIST to establish the Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute in Koriyama, Fukushima, a prefecture that is pioneering the intensive introduction of renewable energy.

From a power systems perspective, the 55,000 m2 research facility is a novel research base to develop innovative technologies including solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, and biomass energy.

In the short term, ETAP Real-Time will be used for power visualization; simulating maintenance operations; incident playback and analysis. The ETAP Microgrid system was deployed by ETAP Real-Time certified system integrator, Asahi Kasei Engineering.

In his recent visit to FREA, Japanese Prime Minister Abe declared Fukushima, a model for Renewable Energy development in Japan and urged for advanced technologies & applications to be integrated and utilized. “In order to achieve this goal, half of the electricity usage at Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute will be provided from high penetration solar PV and wind power systems at the initial stage. The future goal of our penetration ratio of renewables is 100%, ” said Dr. Niki Shigeru, director of Renewable Energy Research Center, FREA.

“The research and verification conducted at our facilities are very specialized and include advanced integration of renewable energy sources. This has led to significant collaboration between our energy network team, ETAP & Asahi Kasei Engineering,” said Dr. Jun Hasimoto, Researcher at FREA. “ETAP Real-Time provides a technological foundation that allows both engineering and operations to work in a synergistic manner. From the design phase through live operations, the energy network team will gain better understanding of renewable energy integration and management, both now and for the future.”

“The sophisticated, unpredictable and diverse nature of FREA’s power system operation and research makes them an ideal environment for real-time power system monitoring & predictive analysis,“ said Tanuj Khandelwal, vice president of engineering services for ETAP. “Their use of ETAP and ETAP Real-Time will help them achieve lifecycle-long power system reliability and high renewable energy penetration for their electrical infrastructure.”

About AIST

AIST is one of the largest public research institutes in Japan, and works to promote collaboration among industry, academia, and government by encouraging people to make the best use of the various resources owned by AIST. AIST researchers in Japan offer advice on research and development and provide the latest information on renewable energy. View this video to learn more about FREA research facility.

About Asahi Kasei

Founded in 1931, the Asahi Kasei Group is one of Japan’s leading multinational corporations, with a diversified array of chemical, electronics, scientific, engineering, and industrial businesses operating in 19 counties. 2012 revenue from its nine core subsidiary companies was ¥ 1.7T ($16.4B USD). Founded in 1972 and based in Tokyo, Asahi Kasei Engineering Corp. is the engineering subsidiary responsible for facility planning, construction, operation, and maintenance. Visit asahi-kasei.co.jp for more information.

About ETAP

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Irvine, Calif., ETAP is the global market and technology leader in electrical power system modeling, design, analysis, optimization, and predictive real-time solutions. The Company’s software technologies ensure that power systems are designed for optimal reliability, safety, and energy efficiency; when deployed in real-time mode, they enable organizations to manage energy as a strategic asset, maximize system utilization, lower costs, and achieve higher levels of financial stability. To date, more than 50,000 licenses of the Company’s ETAP and ETAP Real-Time products have been used in demanding generation, transmission, distribution, and industrial power system projects around the world. Visit etap.com for more information.

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