Global warming. The continual depletion of fossil fuels. The uncertainty about international energy supplies due to geopolitics. These are just some of the many reasons for the increasing shift towards renewable energy. This is especially so in Japan, a country with an abundance of beautiful nature but a relative lack of natural resources.
The potential for developing renewable energy is closely linked to the cards you've been dealt by Mother Nature. Japan is a long, narrow island country running from north to south. Over 70% of the land is mountainous, including many active volcanoes. The country has four distinct seasons, and an abundance of rainfall. It is now aiming to make the most of these attributes by applying cutting-edge technology to the generation of renewable energy. This series looks at Japan’s latest efforts in the realms of solar, wind (in the form of floating offshore turbines), small-scale hydro, snow melt, geothermal and hydrogen energy.