Start of demonstration experiment aimed at advancing greenhouse horticulture in Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture -Reducing production costs and CO2 emissions through improved farming efficiency and reduced heavy fuel oil consumption-

Today, four companies—E's Inc. (hereinafter "E's"), Evance., co. ltd. (hereinafter "Evance"), JA Mitsui Leasing, Ltd. (hereinafter "JA Mitsui Leasing"), and Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. (hereinafter "Chubu Electric Power")—have launched a demonstration experiment (hereinafter "the Demonstration") aimed at advancing greenhouse horticulture using remote monitoring and control systems and electric heat pumps at a melon farm in Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture.

In recent years, the agricultural sector has been facing labor shortages and an aging population of farmers. Additionally, in greenhouse horticulture, the use of equipment such as boilers is essential to maintain temperatures suitable for crop growth; consequently, there are various challenges, including high fuel costs and significant CO2 emissions resulting from the combustion of heavy oil.

In the Demonstration, a remote monitoring and control system provided by Evance and an electric heat pump provided by E's are installed inside a glass greenhouse at a melon farm, with Chubu Electric Power responsible for integrating these systems and overall management of the Demonstration. This will enable the visualization of growing environments such as temperature and humidity, aiming to improve the efficiency of farming operations and reduce production costs and CO2 emissions by cutting heavy fuel oil consumption.
Furthermore, through data analysis and evaluation conducted by Chubu Electric Power, the effectiveness of these initiatives will be verified. Meanwhile, JA Mitsui Leasing will explore the provision of financial services, such as leasing, with a view to promoting the widespread adoption and horizontal expansion of the equipment based on the results of the Demonstration.

Moving forward, the four companies will aim to achieve both improved productivity and environmental conservation in greenhouse horticulture, advance the construction of food infrastructure that leads to the resolution of social issues in the agricultural sector, and contribute to the realization of a sustainable business model and the achievement of the SDGs.

Appendix

• Overview of the Demonstration