Misc

Community-level decentralized and self-reliant energy network is expected to contribute to create a sustainable community as well as its self-vitalization and energy resiliency. But implementation of this system requires consensus among variety of stakeholders and long payback period, which are major hurdles. This study proposes the following concept and methods; (1) PPP business scheme consisting of two types of actors; "community-level energy network infrastructure operating company" and "on-site energy production and service providers" (2) Proper re-allocation of cost and co-benefits among stakeholders by taking advantage of opportunities of adjusting tariffs, taxes, subsidies for the purpose of equalizing each stakeholder's B/C.

 This study aimed to clarify the compositional and contextual effects of indoor temperature on blood pressure (BP). These effects are respectively defined as the increase in BP per 1°C decrease in indoor temperature on a particular day and the increase in BP per 1°C decrease in average indoor temperature of houses based on a multilevel model. Measurement data were collected through field surveys in winter (2012-2014). Both effects were significant, and the sum of the effects was 0.57 mmHg/°C for morning systolic BP and 0.43 mmHg/°C for morning diastolic BP.Also, the interaction between age and temperature was significant.

Previous studies have revealed relationships between specific residential environmental factors and residents' health status. However, no previous study has considered the comprehensive health risk due to overall residential environment. Therefore, a large-scale nationwide questionnaire survey was conducted using CASBEE Health Checklist to examine the residential environment of detached houses and residents' health status. Results show that overall residential environment was likely an important determinant of health and was associated with disease prevalence among residents.

Japan is confronted with the problems of an aging population, and government finances are severely strained by rising expenditures on medical and nursing care. It is expected that medical and nursing care expenses reached 45 trillion yen in 2010, and such expenses are expected to double to 92 trillion yen by 2025. An effective measure for lowering such expenditures is the prevention of cardiovascular disease, a major cause of which is hypertension. Recently, the effects of the indoor thermal environment on blood pressure have attracted attention. However, these effects have not been studied in relation to personal factors, particularly individual attributes and lifestyle. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to analyze the relation between indoor temperature and blood pressure while taking into account personal factors. Field surveys on home blood pressure, indoor temperature, and personal factors were conducted in winter 2012 and 2013. Controlling for personal factors, systolic blood pressure increased by 4.3 mmHg per 10 ℃ decrease in indoor air temperature. Also, a 1 ℃ decrease in indoor air temperature increased 1.1-fold the likelihood of a value above 135 mmHg (baseline for systolic blood pressure at home). Furthermore, the effect of indoor air temperature was stronger in residents with more severe arteriosclerosis.

CASBEE-City, a comprehensive environmental assessment tool for municipalities (cities, towns, and villages), was developed to support citizens, local governments, and other stakeholders in understanding their local conditions. In this study, the aim was to examine the tools practical effectiveness through a nationwide questionnaire survey. The statistical relationship was analyzed between the subjective assessment results (citizens' satisfaction with local conditions) and the objective CASBEE-City assessment results, which are based on public statistical information. A clear relationship was found between the subjective and objective assessment results for municipalities, thus verifying the tools effectiveness.

＜文献概要＞ポイント　◆住まいの冬季最低室温18℃以上のWHO勧告を満たさない住まいが,日本では9割に達する.住まいの新築,改修時の断熱性能向上が疾病予防の観点から重要である.◆暖かな住まいの普及は,転倒・虚弱リスクを低くし,要介護認定年齢を遅らせる効果が期待され,介護予防の観点からも重要である.◆WHO Housing and Health Guidelinesの日本版の早期策定と「健康日本21」の次期改訂への反映が望まれる.