Flagship Project: RENKEI
Introduction

RENKEI Control

Introduction of RENKEI Control (00:2:05)

 

Introduction

About of RENKEI Control

The Japanese word "RENKEI" is literally translated as "cooperation or coordination." “RENKEI” control is an advanced control technology that can pursue cooperative energy efficiency optimization, with two or more elements interacting with one another to provide the most efficient and effective result.

“RENKEI” control has a unique concept for an Energy Management System (EMS) of entire business units such as factories and commercial buildings. By linking and controlling individual facilities or equipment via “RENKEI” control, an entire system can be optimized such that individual pieces of equipment can operate in concert. “RENKEI” control is a powerful technology that can achieve improvement in energy efficiency and Green House Gas (GHG) emission reduction using Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. Linking multiple devices and equipment can improve the total performance of related individual facilities or equipment and produce significant energy savings by expanding system optimization from single to multiple pieces of equipment. “RENKEI” control provides energy savings solutions on both the supply and demand sides by using existing facilities and equipment.

Compared to hardware approaches such as replacement existing equipment with high-efficiency equipment, “RENKEI” control takes a Quick-Win Approach because it has “short implementation period,” requires “less investment”, and is “highly cost-effective”. Thus, “RENKEI” control is a credible and outstanding candidate that can contribute to the ASEAN GHG reduction target under the Paris agreement. “RENKEI” control is highly anticipated by both the public and private sectors for its potential to solve customer management issues regarding environmental problems, save energy, and achieve cost reductions. “RENKEI” control can also play a part in addressing societal issues including global warming and energy conservation.

“RENKEI” control is a technology that can link individual plants and equipment and optimize EMS for an entire factory or building.

RENKEI Flagship Project and its members

As a flagship project under the CEFIA, RENKEI Flagship Project pursues the objective of reducing GHG emissions with “RENKEI” control. This was launched at the 1st CEFIA Government-Private Forum on November 27, 2019, in Manila, Republic of the Philippines.

The members of Flagship Project are RENKEI Control’s supplier under the Working Group (WG) of Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) and other academic and private institutions in ASEAN countries. These members come from Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam; they are Indonesia’s Federation of Information Technology (FTII); the Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia; the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA); Waseda University, Japan; the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries, the Philippines (SEIPI); Chulalongkorn University, Electrical and Electronics Institute (EEI), Thailand; and Hanoi University of Science and Technology, University of Science Ho Chi Minh City, and the Vietnam Electronic Industries Association (VEIA), Vietnam.

Activities

Activities of RENKEI Flagship Project

RENKEI Flagship Project focuses on or aims at numerous activities in different sectors. In the academic sector, universities are building human resources with knowledge on “RENKEI” control. In addition, this project anticipates that after graduation, students from these universities would join the industry or “RENKEI” control vendors and institutions. In the public sector, governments are discussing new regulations and policy subsidies for dissemination of “RENKEI” control. Another important activity that the public sector is working on is sharing information about existing policies in other countries. In the private sector, industries are providing feedback on the possibility of disseminating “RENKEI” control widely by changing regulations and standards for institutions that support low carbon technologies. They are also conducting promotional activities for “RENKEI” control. Furthermore, “RENKEI” control vendors are conducting feasibility studies, seminars, and education on using “RENKEI” control as a low carbon technology by which to achieve business development.

 

To date, RENKEI WG has organized a five-day visit to Japan in February 2020 for Flagship Project members to deepen mutual understanding via cooperation on concrete action plans and providing on-site teachings on the “RENKEI” control technologies. Furthermore, educational seminars were conducted for students in Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, with lectures and hands-on training being given by professors of member universities and teachers from private companies.

Future Direction for RENKEI Control

RENKEI Flagship Project members has made a three-year plan to pursue their objectives from 2020 to 2022. 2020 is the first year of its enthusiastic activities that are part of the flagship project. Even under the COVID-19 crisis, the WG provided online seminars to students and conducted potential surveys and policy-related surveys as far as these could be done remotely. As part of the future of “RENKEI” control, the WG will build a system of collaboration among the public-and private sectors-and academia in the ASEAN countries and Japan, developing “RENKEI” control from one facility to several such as smart grids, among multiple companies in connected industries, and eventually to society as a whole with the development of a smart city.

“RENKEI” control will start by optimizing energy at multiple facilities before moving to manage society as a whole, thereby making huge impacts on connecting industries or creating smart cities.

Recent Activity Report