MHI Developing the QoEn™ Index for Energy Infrastructure to Support the Sustainable Growth of Society

Tokyo, August 9, 2019 - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has begun development of QoEn™(Note),　an index to quantitatively indicate high-quality energy infrastructure. The aim of the index is to suggest to urban development planners and investors, from the project planning stage, the optimal energy infrastructure to meet the area's energy needs and support sustainable growth, and to quantify the degree of social, economic, and environmental impact from the project on the area.

QoEn™ will simply indicate to urban planners involved with a project, and those considering an investment, the course to building an optimal energy infrastructure. The index utilizes statistical data on an area and other public information to express in numerical form the social, economic, and environmental aspects of a project. The index can also be used as a general tool to express the development and growth goals of an area as a future index, indicate the gap with the current situation, and assess the contribution the introduction of new energy infrastructure will have on an area. Further, publication of the evaluation tool will allow for its use by third parties with public data.

The distinguishing feature of QoEn™ is the expression of the quantified social, economic, and environmental indices as a triangular illustration, allowing the balance of a project, and how it compares with those in other areas, to be discerned at a glance. By continually making similar evaluations after the introduction of the energy infrastructure, it will also be possible to assess the effects of the project, and reflect the findings in plan revisions. MHI will use this information to provide consulting from the initial planning and concept stage, and serve as an overall integrator, building a platform for overall optimization and open innovation that considers possibilities beyond its own systems and equipment.

In October 2018, MHI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of New South Wales in Australia to cooperate with providing energy management solutions for the comprehensive development plan for the Western Sydney region. As part of this effort, MHI is jointly conducting empirical studies of QoEn™ with the University of New South Wales, and within 2019 plans to announce the results of this research, including its application for the Western Sydney region.

MHI Group aims to be able to indicate from the planning stage for urban development and other projects, the ideal form for quantifiably high-quality energy infrastructure. By using QoEn™ to suggest the optimal energy infrastructure, MHI Group will contribute to the realization of a sustainable society based on the characteristics of each region.

• The QoEn™ name and logo are trademarks of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Inc. The name incorporates the nuance of the Japanese word "kuon" (eternity).