The recent changes in the energy landscape have been extremely intense and complex, including the global movement toward decarbonization and the growing interest in security and resilience. In this situation, it would be preferable to consider open sharing of information and strategies with multiple stakeholders transdisciplinarily with open data and open-source software. The objective of this study is to clarify whether OSS energy system modelling tool OSeMOSYS and MoManI, which is European oriented application, can handle a model of Japan, where multiple regions are linked with complex interconnections. The basic function of OSeMOSYS is to calculate the configuration of power sources with the lowest cost for target period. In this study, two enhancements were made to this application. Firstly, since there are mechanical limits of ramp up/down rate in actual power generation facilities, new constraint equations were incorporated into model to set upper limits on the rate of changes. Secondly, three types of power supply facilities were arranged into model virtually to connect grids of multiple regions with restrictions. Overall, the optimization results for 2020 roughly reflect the trend in electricity supply by thermal power, hydro power, nuclear power, renewables and others. As for inter-regional transactions, the results reflect regions that receive supply from others (Tokyo, Kansai and Chugoku), regions that send electricity to others (Tohoku, Hokuriku, Shikoku and Kyushu), regions with a mixture of both (Hokkaido and Chubu) and regions with no transactions (Okinawa). The above results show that OSeMOSYS/MoManI can appropriately handle energy system of Japan.

The progress of global warming requires countries around the world to accelerate measures to combat climate change. Under these circumstances, the adoption and dissemination of climate change mitigation technologies have become urgent tasks. However, these processes always face numerous challenges, such as high costs and resistance from local communities. Moreover, understanding the status of technology implementation, including these challenges, requires considerable time and effort. This study addresses this issue by applying Large Language Models (LLMs) to identify the key issues related to climate change mitigation technologies. We propose two methodologies: the "document-based approach," which consists of document summarization, clustering, and topic labeling, and the "topic-based approach," which consists of topic extraction and counting by classification. In this study, we apply these methodologies to wind power generation using two news media data and analyze the topic trends. There are three main findings: 1) different patterns of topic emergence, 2) detailed trends in discussions about the environmental impacts of wind power, and 3) different characteristics between the two media sources. In addition to these three findings, one of the values of this study is to provide a practical example of the use of LLMs to monitor the adoption and dissemination of climate change mitigation technologies.

Renewable energy, especially offshore wind energy is one of the big focuses in aiming zero-carbon society in the world and in Japan, as well. In progressing such projects, social acceptance of the local community is one of the important problems. Recently, it is said that conventional NIMBY (not in my backyard) model is not enough in explaining resident’s perceptions and promote social acceptance. According to the widespread of technical and social information through web, logical and step-by-step explanation based on exact facts and securing social justice, process transparencies, and so on, are required. This paper tried to calarify the correlations of perceptions on offshore wind energy versus other environmental issues such as climate change etc., since such information can be helpful in explaining the significance of the projects to the local communities. In addition, relations with the situations in the local industries are also key factors for the project implementations. The authors carried out an internet survey to ask the respondents’ perceptions against the climate change, resource depletion, and so on. Throughout the survey, the correlations between the other environmental issues and offshore wind energy have been clarified. The information can be the fundamental data in order to know what are the points to be explained and how to build win-win relations between business stakeholders, environment and local communities. Regardless the projects are approved or not, since the local communities continues, the conclusion should be understandable for the local communities. The information is helpful in changing the society sustainable.

The pressure to accelerate just transitions to Net Zero is felt across all disciplines. Moreover, researchers face challenges of developing research aims directed at wicked problems that arise in engineering transitions. Engineering research groups in particular face the challenge of incumbency, following their vested disciplinary inquiries when the just transition challenges are transdisciplinary and require new perspectives. Recent research in transition engineering has developed a transdisciplinary process to navigate a solution space that includes long term sustainability goals, social good outcomes and viable technological enterprises. This paper reports the experience and results of the Transition Engineering Sprint process undertaken by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded Decarbonisation Pathways for Cooling and Heating (DISPATCH) project research group to reframe research questions around the just transition issue of fuel poverty. A Transition Engineering Sprint is a methodology using a series of whole-systems explorations which creates a new narrative around wicked problems and unveils a creative space exploring direct routes to transitions. The sprint team included PhD students and Post Docs in energy, power system and transition engineering, along with data and social scientists. The process resulted in uncovering a root cause for fuel poverty and generating exploratory concepts for research in a sandbox. The new concepts re-framed ongoing research activities in the group and opened novel transdisciplinary research agendas. The results of a critical self-reflection exercise show that the Transition Engineering Sprint proved effective and that it can be applied in similar trandisciplinary engineering research contexts.