U.S.-Japan Exchange Program for Green Growth Collaboration through Clean Energy Technologies
See full workshop program and agenda here.
The Second EXCET Workshop was held September 11 & 12, 2024 at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA. It was hosted by University of Tennessee, Clemson University, Waseda University, and Osaka University
Workshop participants gave talks reflecting their interests as researchers, planners, and representatives of community interests. They addressed how a research network should function to understand and respond to the challenges inherent in providing reliable infrastructure for the 21st century. Topics included Electric Vehicles, Solar Energy, Built Environment, Decarbonization Strategies, and Policy and Energy Justice. The group represented ten universities (six from US and four from Japan), three national labs, eight industry groups, and five agencies, listed below. Chancellor Donde Plowman gave the opening remarks, and the workshop concluded with remarks by Brad Day, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, UTK. Winners of the Student Poster Contest were Andrew Zajch, Osaka University, first prize, Fumiaki Osaki, Waseda University, second prize, and Rui Zhou, UTK, third prize. The Japanese visitors got to experience several activities unique to our area: hiking in the Smokies, touring ORNL, dining in the Sunsphere, and attending a University of Tennessee Football Game.
EXCET is dedicated to fostering an international network of researchers and experts spanning diverse fields, encompassing both engineering and social sciences. Funded by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S, Embassy Tokyo, the workshop objective is to develop policy recommendations and actionable strategies that can drive sustainable economic growth and facilitate decarbonization in Japan and the United States. The impact of this initiative is expected to reverberate through academia, industry, and grassroots community organizations.
Participating entities
Louisiana State University
West Virginia University
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Clemson University
Iowa State University
Rice University
Waseda University
Osaka University
Gifu University
Hokkaido University
Argonne National Lab
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
Oak Ridge National Lab
Tennessee State Energy Office
City of Knoxville Office of Sustainability
East TN Clean Fuels & Drive Electric TN
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance
Volkswagen Group of American
Energy Transition Finance
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Nikken Sekkei Ltd.
Haru Energy
Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation
Daikin Corporation
Panasonic
EXCET Process for Improvement & Evaluation
Program Activities
Resources & Inputs
• Funding
• Admin & IT support from UT
• PI/CoPI time commitments
• Existing relations w/Japanese partners
Activities
• Three in-person workshops
• Qrtly virtual discussions
• Shared resources
•Co-develop white papers & policy papers
Outputs
• Papers from workshops & online sessions submitted for publication
• EXCET ListServ
• Policy paper
• Biannual newsletters
Intended Results
Outcomes
• Share ideas via EXCET network
• Publish in journals and news media
• Joint proposals for future research & exchange programs
Impacts
• Adopt recommendations in final policy paper
• Coordinate efforts for green economic development
• Enhance research partnerships between Japan & USA
EXCET includes The University of Tennessee, Waseda University, Osaka University, and Clemson University