The purpose of the project was to demonstrate a number of smart grid elements:
- Transform residents and businesses that use energy into “prosumers” (producers‐consumers) by installing photovoltaic arrays and other systems
- Implement demand‐side self‐management so that individual and corporate prosumers work with legacy energy providers to manage energy.
- Introduce dynamic pricing and incentive programs.
The implementation period was Implementation FY 2010 to FY 2014 (5 years) and included 26 projects at a budget of JPY 12B.
The response to dynamic pricing yielded a measurable change in behavior. Households showed a peak cut effect of around 20%, while offices that incorporated BEMS showed a peak cut effect of nearly 9%.
In the district where the Kitakyushu Smart Community Project is implemented (the Higa-shida area in Yahata-Higashi Ward), a CO2 emissions cut of more than 50% compared with other areas in the city has been achieved.
Regional energy company Kitakyushu Power Co. was set up (Dec. 1, 2015). It uses energy management know-how from the Kitakyushu Smart Community Project and supplies to Kitakyushu users electricity procured from power sources in the city.
In the Kitakyushu Hydrogen Town, hydrogen was supplied through a private-sector pipeline. The safety and stability of the hydrogen supply has been confirmed.
The city has been chosen as the venue of the Group of Seven energy ministers' meeting May 1-2, 2016, in recognition of its advanced energy projects.