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There was an unprecedented growth of SHP (small hydropower) in Japan during recent years because the government has provided a high FIT (USD 0.32/kWh) for SHP development projects of less than 200 kW. The public and private sectors are committed to harnessing this natural energy to achieve the renewable energy goal as well as to improve local communities social and economic conditions. This paper will discuss about renewable energy initiatives by a food corporation enterprise (FCOOP) based in Fukuoka prefecture of Japan to reduce their net carbon emissions. A detailed approach for social enterprises-based SHP development has been discussed which will be a role model concept for other social enterprises in Japan and in the world that are willing to reduce CO2 emissions. Also, this kind of project connects urban stake holders with local community where resources are available and it leads to development of the local community living standards. As a demonstrated example, a case study of a 20 kW SHP installed in Japan by a FCOOP has been discussed.

Energy is the prerequisite for social and economic development of a community and country. In Japan, national government is promoting small hydropower (SHP) through a renewable energy policy by providing a high FIT price of 34 yen (≒0.32 US$/kWh) on energy generated from an SHP of less than 200 kW. Until now, the energy generation was controlled by national government agencies, but now independent power generation businesses are growing at the local community level in rural Japan. For the future growth of SHP, it is necessary to make electricity generation at the local community level. Therefore, these local communities will install and manage their renewable electricity by themselves. It will help to make the community self-sustainable and independent from the national government, and at the same time, it will also lead them to achieve the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs) target from community-based action. This paper aimed to discuss an SHP development business model in which local community will become the business owner of the SHP. It means “of the community, by the community and for the community”. The community identifies their renewable energy potential and needs, they borrow money from the financial organization or banks, install the power plant and do necessary maintenance and management by themselves. The revenue earned by selling electricity is used to repay the loan, and the rest is used for community development directly (such as local roads construction, agriculture land improvements, community hall maintenance, waterways maintenance, welfare, etc.). This paper also discussed a community-based 50 kW SHP installed in Miyazaki prefecture of Japan as a case study. This SHP is one of the best examples of a community ownership model (Community-based business model). A detailed explanation from planning to investment has been discussed. The local community is getting approximately 112,000 USD per year by selling the electricity, and 162-ton CO2 is estimated to decrease yearly, which will support the achievement of SDGs. Finally, installing this kind of SHP in remote areas will provide managerial skills to the local community directly, plant operation knowledge, and education to local students. Local communities learn the problem-solving skills, which lead them to solve the local problem on a community level by themselves.

This paper aims at clarifying the determinants that promote the community-based renewable energy development in Japan, with a special focus on micro and small hydropower. This paper analyzes a case study of the social enterprise that was established by the local residents and farmers in the Gokase Township, the purpose of which is to install and develop community-based renewable energy. To analyze the case study, we adopt the framework of the Landcare approach. The Landcare approach can be characterized by the following guiding principles: (1) a strong community initiative guided by local residents and primary producers; (2) a focus on local problems; (3) a holistic and integrated approach to tackling problems; (4) stress on community well-being; and (5) partnership and networking. There are similarities between the Gokase Research Institute of Renewable Energy (GRIRE) and Landcare in that they both focus on local issues that can be tackled by local citizens and take a holistic approach that includes not only hydropower development but also improvement in community well-being. This paper examines the fitness of each principle and reveals that all of them fit fairly well with the case of micro-hydropower development in Gokase. This implies that micro-hydropower development in Gokase can be qualitatively evaluated as sustainable from the perspective of Sustainable Development theory.

In line with modern era, it is a high demand of renewable energies due to fossil fuels crisis. This study applies food garbage to produce biogas - an alternative renewable energy source - under lab-scale batch and semicontinuous reactors. Designing with four loading total solid (TS) rates of 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, and 2.5%, the batch and the semi-continuous testing set up in 1.5 L and 21 L plastic reactors, respectively. Both testing was run in 60 days, produced biogas volume and compositions were recorded daily in semi-continuous reactors, and every ten days in the batch reactors. The results show that in batch testing, the biogas yields of treatments 1.0%TS, 1.5%TS, and 2.0%TS were better than those for treatment of 2.5%TS; however, %CH4 concentrations were better for treatments 2.0%TS and 2.5%TS. For the semi-continuous testing, the loading rate of 2.5% total solid food garbage produced the highest biogas yield which could meet the household demand of daily gas. Up to the day of 60, the %CH4 concentration was nearly 45% which proof the biogas can be used for cooking. H2S concentration in biogas was high which must be reduced to use produced biogas for cooking purpose. Further study needs to avoid accumulation of soluble organic acids, leading the low pH and inhibits methane-producing microorganisms in food garbage anaerobic reactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]