Making Room for Batteries in Japan: The Need for Regulatory Evolution
The large-scale deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESS) is technically essential for enabling renewable energy to function as a primary power source in modern power systems. However, implementation has progressed more slowly than required, largely due to limited economic viability under current market mechanisms. From a system engineering perspective, storage plays a critical role in maintaining frequency stability, balancing supply and demand, mitigating variability, and enhancing overall system resilience. As renewable penetration increases and system inertia declines, the need for fast-response resources such as BESS becomes increasingly urgent, including from an energy security standpoint.
This presentation provides an overview of the current situation in Japan, including market and operational frameworks relevant to storage deployment. It further examines recent technical challenges associated with high renewable penetration—such as frequency control, reserve management, and system stability—and discusses emerging operational strategies and technological trends in storage integration and grid support functions.
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- Starts 04 March 2026 08:00 AM UTC
- Ends 19 March 2026 12:00 AM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
Dr. Kenji Iba
Dr. Kenji Iba
Biography:
Professor Kenji Iba is Professor Emeritus of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Meisei University. His areas of expertise include power systems, renewable energy integration, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and smart community technologies.
He received his B.S. (1978), M.S. (1980), and Ph.D. (1990) degrees in Electrical Engineering from Waseda University. After studying power system engineering under Professor Tamura at Waseda University, he joined Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in 1980, where he engaged in power system planning and analysis. His research on reactive power and voltage control was highly recognized within the industry. In 1983, he received professional training at Westinghouse Electric Corporation in the United States.
In 2004, he was appointed Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Meisei University. In recent years, his work has focused on smart grids, battery energy storage systems, and renewable energy integration, particularly from the perspective of power system operation and control.
Professor Iba has served as a member and chairperson of numerous committees organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Electric Supply Council of Japan (ESCJ), and Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ), among others. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a Senior Member of the IEEJ.
Address:Tokyo, Japan