Environmental matter and Disaster preparedness
In Case of Disaster
“Solar energy generation”, “Abundant groundwater”, “Liquefied petroleum gas” and “Stockpile storage” are the basics for protecting the lifeline of N’s Court.
When the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake struck in 1995, the lifeline of the area suffered catastrophic damage. Electricity, gas, water line, communication, roadway were crippled, and the reconstruction work took one week for electricity, two weeks for telephone, a few months for gas and water line. The disaster victims had hard time surviving without any support for a few days just after the earthquake.
What if an earthquake occured now?
How would we survive?
That depends on how good you can be prepared for a few hardest days.
Food, drinking water and fuels etc. are kept for all the residents in the storage of N’s Court and the buildings are so designed that you can use groundwater pumped up by solar energy for such daily life water as toilet.
And the reconstruction work took only 14 days for LPG which has already been used daily while it took three months for city gas at the time of the Great Hanshin Earthquake. The fire broke out one after another in the households using city gas around Kobe city but there was no single fire caused by LPG.
LPG demonstrated its safety while the rate of the destruction is proportional to the number of fires.
There exists no perfect preparation against disaster in this world.
However, we, N’s Court will keep working to protect every resident from any emergency.
Environmental measures
Solar Energy Generation
We, N’s Court, are working on the solar energy field test program with NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) which is doing development and research for new energy sources in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
We provide detailed data of CO2 reduction as a result of using solar energy for such common facilities as elevator and drainage pump. Based on the data, they have carried on technological development and research to work out the problem of saving energy and global warming.
Now approximately 10000kWh is generated yearly by the 10kw system actually applied by N’s Court. We indicated the contribution to the environment for the output in numerical term.
Reduced fuel:2.4 kl/year(equal to 12 metal barrels of fuel oil.)
Reduced CO2:1.89t-CO2/year(equal to the amount of CO2 absorbed by the forest of 1.94ha neary equals 140m x 140m.)
Greening of the Wall
The average temperature of Tokyo has risen by about 3 degrees Celsius over the past century and the global warming and the heat-island phenomenon have escalated in Tokyo.
N’s Court will promote the greening of the wall that draws attention as a prevention measure.
Reduction of temperature of greening wall surface:
Compared to the concrete surface, about 10 degrees reduction is made.
Compared to the artificial grass, about 20 thru 30 degrees reduction is made.
Control of night heat release:
Due to the greening of the wall, it is acknowledged that the heat released from the wall surface will be reduced during night and enhance insulation effectiveness.
(Ref: “Inspection of Effectiveness for Greening Wall and Fact-finding Survey” released by Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2004, June)
N’s Court will work on not only greening wall but rooftop gardening as an approach for a relaxation of heat-island phenomenon.
Groundwater
Fuchu city is well known for good drinking water. The city is rich in groundwater and that is the reason why such major manufacturers as beer brewery or brewing vinegar factory were invited in this city.
The rainfall on Mt. Tanzawa in Kanagawa Pref. has been running deep under the ground for many years in the city.
There was a factory of food company in the past at the site of N’s Court where the groundwater was used for food processing as such clean water was essential. As a matter of course, the groundwater was essential resources for the people as good drinking water and daily life water.
Ｉt is not regularly used now，however，the water running under the N’s Court begins to help neighboring residents as a lifeline against a disaster.
You may have a chance to enjoy the tasty water during your stay.
Liquefied petroleum gas and “Eco Jozu”
We use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is “clean” “safe” and “disaster-resistant” in the N’s Court. The emission of CO2 for LPG is smaller than other energy sources, so it is noted as environmentally friendly clean energy.
Moreover, in N’s Court 139, energy-saving type called “Eco Jozu” is applied for water-heater of each dwelling unit. Conventional water-heater emit heat of 200 degrees Celsius during combustion and heat efficiency is 80 %. In contrast, as high as 95 % heat efficiency is materialized for “Eco Jozu” by reusing the heat emitted during combustion. That will make it possible to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions by 16% a year. And the yearly emission of CO2 is 1683kg for electric water-heater while 977kg for “Eco Jozu”, which is 1.7 times as much as that of “Eco Jozu”, so the difference is quite obvious.
It is not well known but water-heater takes up one third of all energy used at home, that is, as for reduction of CO2 at home, energy-saving for water-heater will bring about dramatic effect.
