Department of Management Science and Technology, School of Engineering, Tohoku University
Toshihiko Nakata Professor Toshihiko Nakata Social system design,
Energy sustainability

Faculty Members

Aiming at the creation of a smart and comfortable society through the structural reform of an energy-consuming society

Is a stylish space also environmentally friendly? A smart café-like space with wooden floors, wooden bookshelves, and desks. Professor Nakata's laboratory has been using wood-based interior materials to measure heat insulation's effects and study the comfort they provide to people to demonstrate their attempts to reduce energy consumption in their laboratory. As a result, the laboratory was transformed from an inorganic space to a stylish one.

-The result is the transformation of an inorganic laboratory into a stylish space.

MISSION

The mechanism of energy in society consists of three components: "resources" such as oil, coal, and gas, which are used as fuels; "technology" which converts resources into energy; and "demand," which consumes fuels such as automobiles, stoves, and home appliances.

In general, research in the field of energy in the Faculty of Engineering focuses on the technology for converting energy. Still, in our laboratory, we are conducting a wide range of research activities, including investigation and analysis), design and development, and proposals to society, focusing on the implementation of a sustainable energy system that is both environmentally and economically compatible with the community.

Our research policy is to consider the region as a single energy consumer, with "sustainable (optimization of sustainable energy use)," "justice (fairness and ethics for energy use)," and "innovation (development of new technologies and creation of new values)," in addition to the traditional low-cost, efficient, and economically oriented approach. Our goal is to realize a smart community that considers the region as a single energy consumer. We are currently collaborating with four local governments in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture; Miyako City and Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture; and Shinchi Town, Fukushima Prefecture conduct field surveys on heat demand density and study the optimal smart community model for the region.

Based on these regional models, we would like to research new mechanisms for creating a new energy society to realize a low-carbon society and apply and develop them widely in society.