Zero-Carbon Revival of Kuma Village, Japan
In 2022, Kuma Village in southern Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, was severely damaged by torrential rain. Rebuilding homes after the disaster presented a significant challenge, and posed the question: Should the village stick with traditional energy or go green with sustainable solutions?
Kuma Village chose the latter, leading to the launch of the zero-carbon village revival project. This initiative incorporated self-consumption distributed PV and energy storage system (ESS) into the reconstruction of public housing and welfare facilities. These efforts not only enhanced the utilization of renewable energy but also achieved multiple objectives: post-disaster recovery, reduced living costs, and improved disaster resilience. In 2022, Kuma Village was designated as one of Japan's first decarbonization pilot zones. The village distinguished itself through its innovative power purchase agreement (PPA) model, enabling full-domain deployment of distributed PV and ESS, and has since become a national benchmark project in Japan.
As one of the project undertakers, KUMAMURA Shindenryoku Inc. chose Huawei's FusionSolar Smart PV+ESS solution across 23 locations, including post-disaster public housing rooftops, public facility rooftops, abandoned farmland, and wood processing plants. 88% of Kuma Village is forest, and so forestry naturally serves as its primary industry. The PV+ESS solution now powers wood processing with clean energy, reducing carbon footprint.
"We have used Huawei inverters in our own projects and have experienced first-hand their high conversion efficiency, easy installation, and high reliability," said Nakajima Takafumi, Chairman of KUMAMURA Shindenryoku Inc., when asked why they chose Huawei FusionSolar. "There is no need to worry about faults, and maintenance and management are easy. In addition, we compared ESS products from multiple companies, and Huawei's products performed far better. More importantly, Huawei provided meticulous technical consultation and a comprehensive after-sales support system. For these reasons, we decided to exclusively use Huawei's Smart PV+ESS solution this time."
According to Nakajima Takafumi, Huawei's FusionSolar Smart PV+ESS solution adopts a modular design, making it suitable for various scenarios from residential rooftops to megawatt-level power plants. "This is not just about installing PV and ESS. By adopting the PPA model, we integrate energy cost reduction, industry revitalization, and disaster resilience enhancement into one value chain, thereby improving the overall resilience and disaster resistance of the village," continued Nakajima Takafumi. "Huawei Digital Power is a reliable partner, providing full support from solution design to technical support to help us achieve our goals."
The local power grid in Kuma Village is already at full capacity, so excess electricity generated by PV systems cannot be fed into the grid. By introducing ESS, Huawei's solution maximizes self-consumption of PV energy, which can meet 70% to 80% of the electricity demands in the village. For Kuma Village, which endures severe rainfall and faced an urgent need to improve resilience, this self-sufficient PV+ESS solution significantly strengthens its capacity to withstand disasters. This solution plays a vital role in creating a village where residents can live safely and sustainably for generations to come.
With the help of Huawei's Smart PV+ESS solution, KUMAMURA Shindenryoku Inc. has vigorously promoted renewable energy, significantly reduced carbon emissions, and fulfilled its corporate social responsibility. The project not only addressed the urgent needs of post-disaster reconstruction and reduced residents' living costs, but also safeguarded the pillar industry. The PV+ESS solution reduced the energy consumption of the wood processing plant by about 30% to 40%. As a partner, Huawei Digital Power provides advanced technologies and comprehensive services to help Kuma Village achieve coordinated development of the economy, society, and environment.
Matsuno Shogo, Director of the Kuma Village Revival Support Team, said, "From the village office, seniors' center, and school, to the hot spring resort and wood processing plant, PV installations are now everywhere in Kuma Village. This village is accelerating decarbonization and improving its resilience against disasters. As the benefits of green energy reach everyone, more young people are choosing to move here."
In the future, KUMAMURA Shindenryoku Inc. plans to use Huawei's Commercial and Industrial Hybrid Cooling Smart String Grid Forming ESS for large projects to develop renewable energy supply models that meet regional power needs. The company will also continuously invest the revenue generated by the PV+ESS system in rural digitalization, helping to make Kuma Village the first energy self-sufficient smart village in Japan. Nakajima Takafumi said, "I believe that with Huawei's support, Kuma Village's path toward zero-carbon revitalization efforts will continue to advance."
