GIS-based Analysis for the Energy Potential and Social Feasibility of Small-Scale Run-Off-River Hydropower in Yahagi River, Japan

抄録

Due to the increase in international energy demand and the focus on the realization of a decarbonized society, small-scale hydropower plant is attracting attention in Japan as an important supply of renewable energy. While Japan has a significant amount of precipitation and mountains, it is suitable to establish hydropower plants; however, hydropower energy currently represents only about 10% of the total energy mix. Generally, a small-scale hydropower facility has relatively little impact on the environment and is expected to play a role as a distributed power source. However, it has not been included in the survey of hydropower potential, and a study on its viability and the development of potential sites is limited. Here, we created an electricity generating capacity map for small-scale run-off-river hydropower plant of the Yahagi River system in Aichi, Japan. We calculated the river flow rate and potential electricity generating capacity at every 10 m on the river line of the Yahagi River system using the digital elevation model, published by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. We overlapped various kinds of social conditions and risks on the map of electricity generating capacity and proposed a suitable site where the development of potential small-scale run-off-river hydropower plant is high.