Shinichirou Uto, from Lawson, certainly thinks so. In fact, his company’s mission to be the ‘number one’ natural refrigerant user mirrors the motivations behind the launch of Accelerate Japan (acceleratejapan.com). It’s industry leaders like Mr Uto, together with their teams, that are changing the world of HVAC&R one day at a time, one installation at a time. They have a strong desire to be ‘green’ but also recognise this as a necessary step to help their businesses grow. Companies like Lawson  are courageous; willing to step into the spotlight in order to push for change and show the way forward. They welcome the opportunity to share their experiences and knowledge so that others can learn faster. 

 

We could not have asked for a better feature story to kick off Accelerate Japan. Mr. Uto is working with natural refrigerant-based technologies, which are disrupting the HVAC&R industry in Japan, and worldwide. Behind this wave of innovation are people with brilliant and creative ideas who are designing and using working technologies in brand new ways to meet exciting new business opportunities. These are the very people, ideas and technologies we want to spotlight  in Accelerate Japan.

 

We firmly believe that this new era of market competition between natural refrigerants and synthetic refrigerants will drive down costs, improve efficiencies, reduce energy consumption and have a reduced impact on the environment. This is what all customers want.

 

Accelerate Japan will showcase the best of these natural refrigerant-based technologies across all segments of the growing HVAC&R industry. We will look at all aspects of the industry. Everywhere refrigerants are used, we will go. Whether for heating or cooling, large scale or small. We will explore CO2, ammonia, hydrocarbon, water and air-based solutions. We will start with the all-important end-user experiences with new applications and the ever-changing regulatory environment, right through to training and servicing. We will share best practices from Japan and the rest of the world, opinions and expertise from today’s industry leaders, while keeping an eye on the next generation of business leaders, engineers, technicians and students, who will drive a far more complex industry, yet one full of opportunities.

 

Importantly, we promise to ask the tough questions and not shy away from discussing the challenges of implementing natural refrigerant-based technologies.

 

On a more personal note, and as founder and publisher of Accelerate Japan, I can say that I have been amazed by the level of innovation and ingenuity of the Japanese industry. I have been working with natural refrigerant-based technologies in Japan since 2003. This marked the beginning of the “Ecocute” revolution where CO2 Domestic Water Heat Pumps (DWHP) brought reliable, energy efficient, climate-friendly hot water to millions of homes and commercial buildings. Over the last decade they have been a huge success and clearly demonstrate the ability of the Japanese industry and government to work in unison to become world leaders. This “Ecocute” moment is now coming to the food retail sector in Japan with the potential to transition even more segments of the HVAC&R industry.

 

This is only the beginning and we at Accelerate Japan will be sure to bring you the best of this global wave of innovation.

 

Be sure to check out our next issue where we will publish our Accelerate Japan editorial calendar, highlighting upcoming topics and events over the course of the coming year.

 

The first issue of Accelerate Japan is viewable online and for free download at http://acceleratejapan.com