Lawson Nakagawa Noda 2-chome Store (Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture) reopens as a demonstration store for realizing "Decarbonization × Resilience": A demonstration experiment has commenced to maximize the use of renewable energy sources, including next-generation solar cells that use perovskite technology, aiming to simultaneously achieve CO2 reduction, power supply-demand adjustment, and enhanced resilience during disasters.

Five companies, including AISIN CORPORATION (Head Office: Kariya, Aichi Prefecture; President: Moritaka Yoshida, hereinafter "AISIN"), MC Retail Energy Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Takayuki Araki; hereinafter "MC Retail Energy"), Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. (Head Office: Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture; President & Director: Kingo Hayashi; hereinafter "Chubu Electric Power"), Chubu Electric Power Miraiz Co., Inc. (Head Office: Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture; President: Hironori Kamiya; hereinafter "Miraiz"), and Lawson, Inc. (Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Sadanobu Takemasu; hereinafter "Lawson") will commence a demonstration experiment at the Lawson Nakagawa Noda 2-chome Store (Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture; hereinafter "the store"), scheduled to reopen on December 1. The experiment aims to simultaneously reduce the store's CO2 emissions, balance electricity supply and demand, and enhance disaster resilience by maximizing the use of renewable energy. This initiative is based on a basic agreement signed by Miraiz and Lawson in September 2025.

The store has installed multiple pieces of solar power generation equipment on its roof and window frames, consuming the generated electricity on-site. In addition, surplus electricity that cannot be consumed during the day is stored in batteries installed in the parking lot for use at night, maximizing the utilization of renewable energy. Additionally, glass and acrylic doors have been installed on the refrigerated and frozen display cases inside the store to reduce electricity consumption. Through these efforts, we aim to cover approximately 14% of the store's annual electricity consumption with renewable energy sources (Note 1), while also reducing electricity consumption and CO2 emissions through energy conservation. Further, in the event of a power outage due to a disaster, the electricity stored in the storage batteries will be used to power the POS cash registers and some equipment (in-store lighting, power outlets, etc.) in the store, thereby helping to maintain its function as social infrastructure in the event of an emergency (strengthening resilience).

(Note 1) Calculated based on the amount of electricity generated by solar power generation equipment excluding perovskite solar cells.

The solar power generation equipment (Note 2) to be utilized in this initiative will include perovskite solar cells (Note 3) provided by AISIN, in addition to roof-mounted solar panels and carport-integrated solar power generation equipment. AISIN and Chubu Electric Power will conduct verification (field demonstration) at the store for the social implementation of perovskite solar cells, focusing on investigating installation methods and analyzing power generation efficiency.

(Note 2) The solar power generation equipment is scheduled to begin power generation after receiving approval from the Chubu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, following completion of installation work by December 1.
(Note 3) Due to its high flexibility and lightweight properties, it can be installed on building walls, roofs with low load-bearing capacity, and small electronic devices—locations where conventional silicon-based solar cells were difficult to install. This feature makes it a promising next-generation solar power generation system.

Furthermore, as part of efforts to manage electricity supply and demand, MC Retail Energy will implement demand response (DR) by utilizing the storage batteries installed at the store. DR is an approach where consumers adjust their electricity usage in response to power supply and demand conditions (Note 4) and renewable energy generation levels, as the adoption of renewable energy sources like solar and wind, whose output fluctuates with weather, continues to expand.

(Note 4) Because it is difficult to store large amounts of electricity, the amount of electricity used (demand) must always match the amount of electricity generated (supply).

At the store, MC Retail Energy remotely controls the charging and discharging of storage batteries with high precision and speed. This enables DR response without store employees having to operate equipment, contributing to adjusting the power supply-demand balance and expanding the use of renewable energy.

Through this initiative, AISIN, MC Retail Energy, Chubu Electric Power, Miraiz, and Lawson will maximize the use of renewable energy to help reduce CO2 emissions, adjust electricity supply and demand, and strengthen resilience in times of disaster simultaneously.

Each Company's Role in This Initiative