Intec's 'UCHITAS/Control Service' Adopted for Chugoku Electric Network's Demand Response Demonstration on the Oki Islands

TIS Intec Group's Intec Corporation (headquartered in Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture; President and CEO: Shuzo Hikita; hereinafter 'Intec') announces that its enterprise-oriented remote device control cloud service, 'UCHITAS/Control Service (Uchitas/Control Service)', has been adopted for the demand response (hereinafter 'DR') control verification conducted by Chugoku Electric Network Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture; President and CEO: Hiroyuki Hasegawa; hereinafter 'Chugoku Electric Network') on the Oki Islands in Shimane Prefecture.

In this demonstration, Intec's 'UCHITAS/Control Service' will be utilized as a multi-vendor compatible DR control platform, targeting eco-cute systems on the Oki Islands in Shimane Prefecture. By flexibly controlling heating times, the project aims to verify the usefulness of effectively utilizing renewable energy and achieving stable electricity supply and demand.

※1 A system that adjusts electricity supply-demand balance by controlling the operating time and operation of demand-side equipment according to power supply-demand conditions.

<Concept of Chugoku Electric Network's DR demonstration using eco-cute systems on the Oki Islands>

Background and Reasons for Selecting Intec

In recent years, with the expanded introduction of renewable energy (hereinafter 'renewables'), maintaining a stable electricity supply-demand balance has become a critical challenge in isolated grid areas such as remote islands not connected to the mainland via transmission lines. Chugoku Electric Network has been conducting battery-based demonstrations (the Oki Hybrid Project) on the Oki Islands in Shimane Prefecture to promote greater renewable energy integration, utilizing the resulting technologies for supply-demand balance adjustments. Now, to further verify the effectiveness of demand response (DR) using demand-side energy resources, the company will examine the impact of controlling eco-cute heating times—within limits that do not compromise consumer convenience—during periods when renewable generation may exceed electricity consumption.

Traditionally, eco-cute control has often been limited to specific manufacturers' equipment, posing challenges in expanding target devices and operational methods. Intec was selected as the service provider for this demonstration due to its evaluation of capabilities such as its enterprise-oriented remote device control cloud service 'UCHITAS/Control Service,' which enables individual control of multi-vendor ECHONET Lite AIF-compatible eco-cute systems, along with its track record in energy resource aggregation.

Through Intec's service provision, the following benefits are expected from this demonstration:

Contribution to maintaining electricity supply-demand balance in isolated grid areas

Reduction of system construction and operational burdens through individual control of multi-vendor equipment

Realization of demand-side control that flexibly responds to fluctuations in renewable energy generation

Overview of the Demonstration Experiment

Intec will provide the multi-vendor compatible DR control platform 'UCHITAS/Control Service' for Chugoku Electric Network's eco-cute-based DR demonstration on the Oki Islands in Shimane Prefecture.

In this demonstration, multi-vendor ECHONET Lite-compatible eco-cute systems will be controlled to verify the effectiveness of DR control in response to fluctuations in renewable energy output.

Implementation Period

Until May 2027

Implementation Location

Oki Islands, Shimane Prefecture

Participants

Up to 100 cooperating households (monitors) recruited by Chugoku Electric Network

Demonstration Content

- DR control targeting multi-vendor ECHONET Lite AIF-compatible eco-cute systems - Verification of the effectiveness of demand-side control during fluctuations in renewable energy output - Confirmation of operability and scalability when integrating and controlling multi-vendor equipment

Technologies Provided

- Connecting various eco-cute systems, including those from Panasonic, Daikin, and Nagafu Seisakusho, via 'UCHITAS Connect'※2 - Integrated device management on the 'UCHITAS/Control Service' platform

※2 A smart home application that connects home-installed devices with cloud services

Future Developments

Intec will leverage operational insights gained from this demonstration to enhance the functionality and operational models of its multi-vendor compatible DR control platform, 'UCHITAS/Control Service.' Additionally, it will explore the potential for expanding the demonstrated results to other regions and applications.

About 'UCHITAS/Control Service'

'UCHITAS/Control Service' is an enterprise-oriented cloud service for remote control of IoT devices. It enables secure, cloud-based control and management of eight key household devices—including electric water heaters, air conditioners, and lighting—regardless of manufacturer. Designed for business use, it supports applications such as VPP (Virtual Power Plant), DR, and energy management targeting general households.

For more details, please visit: https://uchitas.com/controlservice/

About Chugoku Electric Network Co., Ltd.

As a general power transmission and distribution company, Chugoku Electric Network primarily serves the Chugoku region and supplies electricity to remote islands (the Oki Islands in Shimane Prefecture and Mijima in Yamaguchi Prefecture). The company is committed to promoting initiatives that maximize renewable energy utilization, leveraging distributed resources to achieve carbon neutrality in the Chugoku region by 2050.

For more details, please visit:

https://www.energia.co.jp/nw/

About Intec Corporation (https://www.intec.co.jp/)

Intec provides a wide range of IT services, from formulating informatization strategies aligned with clients' business strategies to system planning, development, outsourcing, service provision, and operation and maintenance. Since its founding in 1964, Intec has actively leveraged its accumulated technical expertise to apply digital technologies such as AI and RPA and to create new markets. With an open mindset, the company connects people, businesses, and society through technology, transforming itself to deliver new value as a contributor to a prosperous digital society.

About the TIS Intec Group

The TIS Intec Group, with over 20,000 employees in domestic and international group companies, operates under the slogan 'Let’s fulfill society’s aspirations with IT.' It provides IT services to address various social challenges, focusing on financial inclusion, urban concentration and rural decline, low- and decarbonization, and health issues. As a digital technology-driven mover, the group creates new value and contributes to realizing a sustainable, prosperous society for all.

※ Company and product names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

※ The information stated is as of the announcement date. Please note that it may differ from the latest information.

◆ Service Inquiries

Intec Corporation, Social Innovation Business Division, Business Innovation Department

Endo, Otani, Hori

E-mail: uchitas_support@intec.co.jp