**7. Conclusions**

In this paper, we introduced an example of a community energy project that is in progress in the town of Shinchi. For the redevelopment of the JR Shinchi Station district being carried out by the local government of Shinchi, construction of the cogeneration-type district heat and cooling system and community energy system is currently in progress.

In this case, the key to improving environmental performance is effective energy management that combines heat and power. In other words, multiple autonomous energy management systems must work together to optimize demand and supply through energy demand predictions and power consumption reductions during peak energy demand, ultimately improving energy conservation and achieving a low-carbon society. The heat and power supply system introduced in this paper is a useful and advanced example. This technology can be developed in other communities as a model of local production and consumption of heat and power, which promotes locally produced energy and vitalizes the community.

We developed a central control server system known as the "smart hybrid center" and a user information terminal, the "Shinchi Life Assist Tablet," for which demonstration experiments involving local residents have already begun. With this information network, continuous power monitoring in households has been implemented, providing energy consumption data for the present community. In addition, by examining individual household energy consumption, power-saving activities were proposed to suit each household, heightening powersaving awareness in the community and optimizing power demand. Utilizing an existing base of 75 households and adding residences being constructed around Shinchi Station to this base, energy demand information from typical households can be collected. By sharing information on CO2 emission reduction efforts in the area among residents, new communities around the station can be planned. As community-linked energy conservation measures develop, the new smart community can progress smoothly. Residents can gain energy-related knowledge and can be expected to approve of the system. Furthermore, through an integrated supply and demand energy management system that is linked via the CEMS, automatic demand response control can be introduced, and further improvements in energy efficiency and CO<sup>2</sup> emission reductions can be expected.
