You are cordially invited to the next DIJ Forum on

Thursday, 19 September 2019, 18.30h - 20.00h

Renewable Energy in Germany and Japan - Prospects for the Citizen Energy Movement

Carsten Herbes, Nürtingen-Geislingen University (HfWU), Germany
Jörg Raupach-Sumiya, Ritsumeikan University, Osaka
Eiji Oishi, Minna Denryoku, Tokyo

Citizen energy, known as "Bürgerenergie", forms a major pillar of the transition to renewable energies in Germany. From as early as the 1990s, German citizens pioneered investment into renewable energy such as solar, wind or biomass and invested in renewable energy as individual households, companies or within more than 900 energy cooperatives. Similarly, though less known, Japan as well has a long-established vibrant citizen energy movement known as "community power". While initially focusing on building renewable energy capacity, a growing number of citizen energy companies ventured into direct marketing of "green energy".

The shift from a feed-in-tariff (FIT) to a feed-in-premium (FIP) and auction scheme, the institutional framework for grid integration, the deregulation of electricity markets, but also the changing social acceptance of renewable energy and the ecological consciousness among the wider public present major challenges for citizen energy projects and their business models. Highlighting differences in the regulatory environment and public opinion, our speakers will be comparing the development of citizen energy in Germany and Japan. Despite differences, the citizen energy movement in both countries is presently challenged by tighter regulations for renewable energy, growing local resistance to renewable energy projects, and barriers to market integration. At the same time, direct markets for "green energy" are underdeveloped in Japan and, albeit more developed, contribute little to the expansion of renewables in Germany. Eiji Oishi will comment the discussion from a practitioner and business point of view.

Carsten Herbes is a professor of International Management and Renewable Energy at Nuertingen-Geislingen University (NGU), Germany and Director of the Institute for International Research on Sustainable Management and Renewable Energy. His research topics include marketing, acceptance and cost of renewable energy as well as energy cooperatives.

Jörg Raupach-Sumiya is a professor for International Management at the College of Business Administration of Ritsumeikan University, Ibaraki/Osaka. His research topics include regional economic effects of renewable energy, business models of municipality-owned utilities (Stadtwerke), and structural changes in the global energy industry.

Eiji Oishi is the founder and President of Minna Denryoku K.K., a Tokyo-based venture-type power retailing company with an innovative business model that focuses on the promotion of renewable energy and sponsoring of citizen energy projects.

The event is held in English. After the panel discussion there will be time for Q&A and networking. Admission is free; RSVP required, please register online via our website (https://www.dijtokyo.org/event/renewable-energy-in-germany-and-japan-prospects-for-the-citizen-energy-movement/) or at forum@dijtokyo.org

Deutsches Institut für Japanstudien - German Institute for Japanese Studies
Tel: 03 3222 5077 - For directions visit www.dijtokyo.org