Sumitomo Realty & Development Co., Ltd. announced on September 24th that it has commenced sales of its Mirai no ie line of order made homes.  Mirai no ie in English means home of the future.

According to Sumitomo’s press release (linked below), consumers can install and utilize solar energy generation and storage technology at no initial cost thanks to the Sumifu x Enekari plan, a collaboration between Sumitomo and TEPCO.

Other features of the Mirai no ie include a proprietary Home Energy Management System (HEMS) that allows for smart phone accessed home energy control, 24 litre drinking water storage and a 100 litre rainwater collection tank for domestic water usage like bathing and dishwashing.

The water and electricity storage will allow for off grid usage for up to 3 days, an important time frame as 3 days energy, food and water stock is what the government recommends families have on hand in the event of natural disasters that knock out lifeline utility access.

While there is no initial cost, consumers opting for this smart home package will have to pay an ongoing monthly fixed fee that includes 24 hour call centre access for maintenance and repairs.  

Neither Sumitomo nor TEPCO’s press releases mention an accompanying service contract or the possible terms and conditions regarding the monthly fixed fees so those interested would have to make an appointment to visit Sumitomo Realty’s showroom on the 5th floor of the Sumitomo Building near Shinjuku station to learn more.  

Contact details are at the bottom of this article.

Sumitomo Realty builds roughly 2,500 new homes per year nationwide and this plan further realizes the company’s commitment to building Zero Energy Homes (ZEH), an initiative set by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to have 60 percent of newly built freestanding homes utilising solar energy by 2050.

According to METI, solar energy generation together with HEMS and battery storage technology has the potential of reducing a typical home’s annual electricity costs by 80 percent. 

Since the ZEH initiative was announced in 2011, the target timelines have been repeatedly moved back from the initial 2020 target, with the current 2050 target announced in October of 2020.  

That said, Sumitomo Realty and other large home builders are lurching towards the general direction of creating business practices to eventually achieve METI’s sustainable development goals in the housing sector. 

What has helped the initiative gain traction with large home builders like Sumitomo is the announcement by METI that qualified developers can receive subsidies (link below) for implementation of technology that brings their homes to METI prescribed ZEH standards.

These subsidies would prevent the home builder from needing to pass along higher technology costs to the consumer allowing these smart homes to be bank financed similarly to traditional homes.

Further Reading:

Sumitomo Realty’s Press Release (Japanese only; September, 2021)

TEPCO Press Release (Japanese only, September, 2021)

Sumitomo Shinjuku Showroom Contact Detail Site (Japanese Only)

METI 2021 Developer Subsidy Timeline (Japanese only; April, 2021)