The Future Lit by the Winds of the Hira Mountains - JR West's Station Building Wind Power Installation and Japan in 2008 (November 2008)

The Future Lit by the Winds of the Hira Mountains - JR West's Station Building Wind Power Installation and Japan in 2008 (November 2008)

In 2008, Japan urgently needed to introduce renewable energy to combat global warming. As the Kyoto Protocol commitment period began and the national government, local governments, and corporations worked to reduce CO2 emissions, local production for local consumption of energy and distributed power generation were the focus of attention. In the Kansai Electric Power Company area in particular, measures to deal with peak electricity demand became an issue, and a balance between energy conservation and renewable energy was being sought.

In this context, JR West Japan launched a unique experiment at Omi Maiko Station on the Kosei Line in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. The strong "Hira Oroshi," or winds blowing down from the Hira mountain range, is known as a nuisance that interferes with train operations during the winter season, and in fiscal 2006, operations were suspended for a total of 50 hours. However, JR West took advantage of this force of nature and installed small windmills on the platform pillars. The electricity generated is used for lighting and other purposes in the station building, and after seeing the results, the company was considering expanding the system to other stations.

At the time, the use of wind power generation in urban areas was rare among local governments and companies, compared to solar power and small-scale hydroelectric power. However, along with a sense of urgency about climate change, these small-scale distributed power sources were recognized as contributing to improved energy security. This initiative, which utilizes local resources, is a symbolic example of wind power's transformation from a "disaster" to a "resource.