Research Center on Environment and Energy

Center Director: Toshiharu Ikaga (Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology)

Main Campus for Activities: Yagami Campus

It is highly significant for Keio University to disseminate wisdom that contributes to "security in the fields of environment and energy." Many researchers specializing in the "environment and energy fields" are affiliated with Keio University, and the objective is to create a support hub at Keio University for returning research outcomes to society through interdisciplinary connections, thereby further vitalizing research and educational activities in this field at the university.

Environment, energy, interdisciplinary (arts and sciences), secure society, Great East Japan Earthquake, natural energy, carbon dioxide emission reduction, energy conservation

■Regarding activities continuing from FY2019: Background, rationale, and goals for continuation

This is a timely activity for advancing the construction of a new energy-use society that began with the liberalization of the electricity business in April 2016 and the gas business in April 2017. Additionally, centered on public funding such as the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S) "Measurement of the Effects of the Living Environment on the Brain, Circulatory, Respiratory, and Musculoskeletal Systems and Evaluation of Disease and Long-Term Care Prevention Benefits" (FY2017–FY2021), we will conduct interdisciplinary R&D in the fields of energy engineering, environmental science, environmental engineering, architecture, socioeconomics, and medical sciences. This research aims to contribute to the formation of housing, buildings, and local communities evaluated on the axes of environment, energy, and health. Furthermore, with designated donations from Osaka Gas and joint research with private companies such as Kansai Electric Power, Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Nice Corporation, Japan Sustainable Building Consortium, Shimizu Corporation, Azbil Corporation, Kajima Corporation, Panasonic, Panasonic Homes, Konica Minolta, and LIXIL, we will also strengthen R&D initiatives leading to social implementation. Moreover, we plan to host the 9th International Conference on Energy and Environment of Residential Buildings (ICEERB 2020, including a public symposium) from November 23 to 25, 2020, at the Kyoseikan Collaboration Complex (Fujiwara Hiroshi Hall) on Hiyoshi Campus, and to return the research outcomes of our center to society both domestically and internationally.

■New activity goals and content for FY2020, and background for implementation

As described above, our activity goal remains unchanged: to continue activities in the fields of energy engineering, environmental science, environmental engineering, architecture, socioeconomics, and medical sciences. By having members respect each other's fields and apply for new projects as collaborative, multi-perspective initiatives, we aim to demonstrate Keio University's leadership as a comprehensive university in the environment and energy fields and contribute back to society.

■Implementation details for the fiscal year's business plan, and research outcomes and degree of achievement

In FY2020, we continued to promote activities to expand our fields, including environmental science and engineering, architecture, and economics. We conducted active research activities, with continued joint and commissioned research from the electricity, gas, and other industries, as well as public funding from the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S) "Measurement of the Effects of the Living Environment on the Brain, Circulatory, Respiratory, and Musculoskeletal Systems and Evaluation of Disease and Long-Term Care Prevention Benefits" (FY2017–FY2021). Furthermore, including lectures by a Project Professor, we judge that we have sufficiently achieved our initial goals in both research and education. However, due to the impact of COVID-19, we were forced to postpone some field surveys, such as brain MRIs, and events like the 9th International Conference on Energy and Environment of Residential Buildings (ICEERB 2020, including a public symposium) to the next fiscal year or later.

The main numbers of published papers, conference presentations, and achievements in social contribution related to the center are as follows:

Academic Journals

"Journal of Hypertension"

"Indoor Air"

"Urology"

"Int J of Environmental Research and Public Health"

"Plos One"

"Journal of epidemiology"

7 papers in international medical journals such as "Solar Energy"

1 paper in "Research in Exercise Epidemiology"

6 papers in the Architectural Institute of Japan Journal of Environmental Engineering

International Conferences and Domestic Academic Presentations

4 international conferences and 80 domestic academic presentations/br>

Achievements in social contribution, including various academic society-planned events and invited lectures

20 events in locations such as Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Sendai, Mie, Kochi, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, and Kumamoto

To maintain and develop the research outcomes from the demonstration study on total environment and energy management at Keio University (conducted until FY2013) and from research on the intellectual production environment of classrooms, we have continued research on the sensor network for all classrooms in Building 12 on the Yagami Campus. The aim is for the "University CEMS Package," which began as an interdisciplinary collaborative research project resulting from the center's activities, to serve society as a pioneering example for introducing system design technology in the new environment and energy fields. We recognize that since FY2015, we have been developing these technologies for dissemination to the general public. Furthermore, we were able to advance developments useful for building a secure society, such as methane hydrate as an energy resource, the relationship between the natural environment and society, disaster countermeasures for earthquakes, power supply control technology, air environment conservation technology, and renewable energy utilization technology. Additionally, in FY2016, this led to the adoption of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Strategic Information and Communications R&D Promotion Programme (SCOPE) (International Standard Acquisition Type R&D) "Research and Development of an Information and Communication Platform for Smart Community Services" and the Cabinet Office's ImPACT program "R&D Issue 'Brain Information Cloud' in the Realization of a Vibrant Life through Visualization and Control of Brain Information" (FY2016–FY2018). In FY2017, it led to the adoption of the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S) "Measurement of the Effects of the Living Environment on the Brain, Circulatory, Respiratory, and Musculoskeletal Systems and Evaluation of Disease and Long-Term Care Prevention Benefits" (FY2017–FY2021). Our research activities to date have been returned to society through the publication of many international and domestic academic papers, lectures, and other events that cross the interdisciplinary fields of environment, energy, and medical sciences.