There is strength in unity: That’s a principle that Japan-based IT giant Hitachi (News - Alert) has espoused since 2009, when it transformed five companies -- Hitachi Information Systems, Hitachi Software Engineering, Hitachi Systems &Services, Hitachi Plant Technologies, and Hitachi Maxell -- into wholly owned subsidiaries, in order to fully integrate and concentrate the conglomerate’s resources on social innovation.

What is social innovation? To put it simply, it encompasses smarter utility ideas, strategies, organizations, and infrastructure that can serve as the catalyst for change in the world, helping to enhance everyday life.

At Hitachi’s new microsite, posted in October 2011, visitors can explore the results of the company’s consolidation plan—including current efforts and accomplishments in the fields of energy, green mobility, green IT, high-functional materials, life sciences, and water management. Hitachi has been using its strengths in these sectors to pilot programs across the globe, including at home in Japan, as well as in Hawaii, Lithuania, and Singapore. In fact, from fiscal years 2010-2012, Hitachi has dedicated 1.6 trillion yen (roughly, US $20.5 billion) to social innovation."

“Our [website] illustrates Hitachi’s ongoing commitment to improving global infrastructure through our focus on the social innovation business,” commented Lauren Raguzin, director of Branding and Corporate Communications, Hitachi America, Ltd., adding, “By offering social infrastructure solutions that take advantage of the latest technologies, research, and products, Hitachi is helping to improve the quality of life for people around the world, which ultimately helps to create a more sustainable society.”

One example of Hitachi’s commitment to social innovation is the company’s participation -- along with Cyber Defense Institute, Inc., and Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd, both based in Tokyo -- as a contractor for a world-leading smart grid demonstration project on Maui Island in Hawaii. The project has been spearheaded by the Tokyo-based New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), predicated on the results of a feasibility study conducted from May through September 2011 by Hitachi and the other companies. Hitachi is the project leader.

The smart grid project is part of the Hawaii-Okinawa Partnership on Clean and Efficient Energy Development and Deployment, which was signed by the U.S. Department of Energy; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan; State of Hawaii; and Prefecture of Okinawa in June 2010. The partnership is intended to foster the development of clean and energy efficient technologies needed to solve global energy security and climate change challenges.  

The contractors will cooperate with the State of Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., the University of Hawaii, and the U.S. National Laboratories to execute the project, which is expected to reach completion by the end of March 2014. The estimated budget for the smart grid deployment is US$37 million.

Hitachi brings deep smart grid expertise to the development plan, including leading energy management systems, home energy management systems, smart mobility systems, and intelligent water systems. The company also offers solar power systems and LED lighting systems.

The objectives of the project are to establish a system model for the integration of clean energy and to verify cutting-edge technologies in a smart grid system in which a high percentage of renewable energy already is in place. The system being tested mitigates the impact of variable renewable energy generation and uses renewable energy efficiently.

Another objective of the project is to standardize the deployment of a low-carbon social infrastructure, so that it can be deployed on other islands and in semitropical regions worldwide.

Among the project’s key features will be:

·         Advanced load shift for maximum use of renewable energy;

·         Direct control of home electric appliances and solar PV generation output control, to withstand rapid changes in power supply and demand;

·         An electric vehicle/plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (EV/PHEV) management system coordinated with the grid management system, that will handle the impact of high EV/PHEV penetration;

·         Cyber security, to facilitate safe operation of the system;

·         Autonomous control architecture, for system scalability and highly responsive energy control; and

·         Establishment of business models and assessment tools for remote island social infrastructure systems based on the project results.

“Like Hawaii, Japan is looking for ways to better use clean energy on smaller electric systems that serve individual islands. By pooling our resources and our expertise, we can develop solutions that will help significantly increase our use of clean energy sources,” said Robbie Alm, Hawaiian Electric Company executive vice president.

In related news, on Dec. 23, Hitachi and Lithuania government signed a preliminary deal to building a nuclear power plant in the Baltic state, with the final agreement expected in 2012. "We believe that it is... an opportunity for Hitachi to contribute to the energy stability in the Baltic region," Masaharu Hanyu, vice president and executive officer of Hitachi ,said at a press conference related to the agreement.