The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) received a large number of applications for the New Energy Award, a program operated by the New Energy Foundation (NEF) and aimed at recognizing efforts to contribute to new energy, such as the development of equipment, provision of services, and introduction and promotion of facilities. The New Energy Award Review Board (consisting of academics and others) of the NEF carefully examined the 46 applications received and selected nine award winners: one for the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Prize, two for the Director-General of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Prize, five for the Chairman of New Energy Foundation Prize, and one for the Review Board Chair’s Prize.

1. Winners of New Energy Awards
Winners of different prizes of the New Energy Award were as follows:

(1) Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Prize: one winner

Use of woody biomass to supply heat and electricity to four plants (Best Introduction by Corporation category)
Tsubetsu-Tanpan Cooperative

(2) Director-General of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Prize: two winners

Sludge carbonization at the Tobu Sludge Plant (Best Introduction by Municipal Government category)
Bureau of Sewerage, Tokyo Metropolitan Government

Increased acquisition of Green Power Certificates and forest conservation activities linked to the certificate system (Best Green Energy Introduction category)
Sony Corporation

(3) Chairman of New Energy Foundation Prize: five winners

Carbon Neutral House (Best Product category)
Sekisui House, Ltd.

Koriyama-Nunobiki Kogen Wind Farm (Best Introduction by Corporation category)
Electric Power Development Co., Ltd.

Numata Snow Hill Center Project (Best Introduction by Municipal Government category)
Numata Town Government, Uryu-gun, Hokkaido

“From the Northern Edge to the Cutting Edge”: Earth-friendly community development as a model of new energy use (Best Promotion category)
Wakkanai Alternative and Renewable Energy Study Group

“Becoming an Ecological Equivalent of the Red Feather Campaign”: Carbon offset through travel (Greenshoes brand)(Best Green Energy Introduction category)
JTB Kanto Corp.

(4) Review Board Chair’s Prize: one winner

Environmental education and promotion activities mainly through partnership with the local government, to build a hopeful future for children: (Best Promotion category)
The Forum for the Future Energy, Okayama (specified nonprofit corporation)

2. Outline
The New Energy Award is a program to facilitate the introduction of new energy and related systems by recognizing outstanding efforts to contribute to new energy, such as the development of equipment, provision of services, and introduction and promotion of facilities, through a public call for application and a strict review of the submitted entries. The program marks its 13th year in FY 2008.

For the purpose of fostering the wider use of new energy through the commendation of excellent examples of new energy products and their installation, the New Energy Award was instituted in FY 1996 as “Commendations for the 21st Century Type New Energy Equipment/System Category” (New Energy Vanguard 21). This was a step taken in response to the government’s formulation of the “Basic Guideline for New Energy Introduction” in 1994, which stipulated the need to develop and promote new energy equipment and systems. The program was renamed the New Energy Award in FY 2000, as it is called now.

With a total of 137 outstanding products and efforts recognized over the past 12 years, the program has played an important role in fostering pioneering initiatives to develop and adopt new energy equipment and systems.

Release Date

November 17, 2008

Division in Charge

New and Renewable Energy Division, Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy

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