Todai Sustainable Campus Project (TSCP)

Here at the University of Tokyo (UT aka Todai), a major research university in Japan, sustainability is a priority. With a total floor area of 1,592,030 m² where 88% of which is the five main campuses combined (Hongo, Komaba 1, Komaba 2, Kashiwa, and Shiroganedai), Todai has around 7,603 board, faculty, and staff, 14,394 undergrads, and 14,196 postgraduates (2007). It has an estimated CO2 emission of 143,926 tons a year with an energy source of 85% electricity, 14% city gas, and 1% heavy oil (2008). It's interesting to note that the University of California, Berkeley (UCB aka Cal) produces an estimated 209,998 metric tons a year (2008) with purchased electricity accounting for 30% of total CO2 emissions, purchased steam 41%, and natural gas 5% (2007).

Similar to University of California, Berkeley's Office of Sustainability, Todai Sustainable Campus Project (TSCP) is in charge of planning, implementing, and overseeing initiatives that lead the university towards reducing energy consumption, increasing energy efficiency, and lowering overall CO2 emissions. Among its goals is for Todai to become a model for a future, sustainable society.

TSCP currently has two action plans- TSCP2012 (2008-2012) and TSCP2030 (-2030). TSCP2010 calls for a 15% CO2 emission reduction by 2012, while TSCP2030 calls for a 50% CO2 emission reduction by 2030 from 2006 levels. Note that UC Berkeley's CalCAP action plan is to reach 1990 levels by 2014; total CO2 emissions in 1990 was 161,918 metric tons (CalCAP, 2007) .

Having been briefed on UC Berkeley's sustainability measures, goals, and initiatives and now a bit on the University of Tokyo's, I find that there is a strong focus on energy saving projects regarding buildings and lighting largely due to its relatively easy implementation and quick payback. Funding expensive energy saving projects is an investment, so calculating the investment recovery period is a vital process that every office must deal with.

For Todai, it replaced 38, 605 lights from 100 Watt FLR fluorescent lighting to 56 Watt Hf fluorescent lighting. And with large scale procurement, it reduced the investment recovery years to 6.9 years. For UC Berkeley, it replaced 8-ft T12 fluorescent lamps & electronic ballasts to the more efficient 4-ft T8 lamps and low-wattage electronic ballasts in Wurster Hall (Abesamis) and 23 2-lamp 40 Watt T12 fixtures with 2-lamp 32 Watt T8 in a stairwell in Evans Hall (PIER).

External Links
University of Tokyo (Japanese): http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/index_j.html
University of Tokyo (English): http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/index_e.html
Todai Sustainable Campus Project (Japanese): http://www.tscp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/
Todai Sustainable Campus Project (English): http://www.tscp.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/

UC Berkeley: http://berkeley.edu/
UC Berkeley Sustainability: http://sustainability.berkeley.edu/
UC Berkeley Office of Sustainability: http://sustainability.berkeley.edu/os/

Special and Endless Thanks to
Lisa McNeilly, Judy Chess, Professor Hanaki, Mr. Morita, Kawano-san, Sakoda-san, and Muira-san for all the planning, organizing, emailing, excellent care, and so much more making this fellowship possible and thoroughly enjoyable!