Energy self-sufficiency and its significance: Japan’s potential and some take-away lessons from Germany

Year 2018, Volume: 1 Issue: 3, 25 - 34, 01.07.2018

Philipp Huehn Davar Pishva

Abstract

Fossil
fuels have traditionally powered modern societies since the Industrial
Revolution and our present day well-being have been achieved through such
fuels. They are, however, finite in nature and quite harmful to the environment
since they are the main source of global warming. Japan, Germany as well as
many other countries are highly dependent on the import of oil, gas or coal and
have to pay the world market price. Unsustainable extractions have brought
fossil fuels under constraint and countries which want to (partly) mitigate
this issue, should start investing in renewable energies and re-arrange their
energy generation sector to a more sustainable system. A functional mix of
renewable and conventional power plants can reduce the need for fossil fuels in
the electricity generation sector, thus lessen the carbon dioxide emission
while securing supplies and stability. The main aim of this study is to
investigate Japan’s potential for renewable energies and how to influence its
energy generation sector with some take-away lessons from Germany. Qualitative
and quantitative research designs were adopted to provide reasonable arguments
to support the hypothesis that a fair share of its total (electric) energy
demand could be achieved by capitalizing on renewable energy sources, while
phasing out some old thermal power plants. A significant take-away lesson from
Germany turns out to be adoption of more innovative energy policies and their
constant upgrades. Patience with higher price of renewable energy sources
during times that world oil prices significantly drops through political
manipulation is another consideration.

Keywords

Fossil fuels, renewable energies, sustainability, policies, Japan

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