Aug 8 2019
On August 6th, 2019, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation reported that its visualized Net Zero Energy Building Test Facility is Japan’s first medium-scale (more than 6,000 m2) office building under construction to be awarded a first-level BELS 5-star rating and Net Zero Energy Building certification by the Building-Housing Energy-Efficiency Labeling System.
The Building-Housing Energy-Efficiency Labeling System is a third-party certification organization in Japan. The rating estimates the energy-saving performance according to the Building Energy Index (BEI) and is given for the theoretical performance levels of a building.
The Net Zero Energy Building Test Facility is being set up by Mitsubishi Electric in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, to develop and present ZEB-related technology. The facility will start functioning in September 2020.
Mitsubishi Electric contributes to technical developments based on its ZEB+ concept of creating and optimizing buildings over their lifecycles for energy savings, environmental efficiency, productivity, convenience, comfort, and business continuity.
The certification takes into account the facility’s estimated reduction in energy consumption by 103% (including photovoltaic energy production) compared to its surrounding region’s mean consumption levels, including total energy consumption for ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, hot water, and elevators based on energy conservation standards presented by Japan’s National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management in 2016.
To meet the requirements for certification, Mitsubishi Electric enhanced the design conditions for the complete construction process, increased the efficiency of equipment and systems to be established in the facility, and proposed ZEB-based solutions for lighting, air conditioning, and photovoltaic systems.