MOE > Environmental Policy > ETV > Mechanism of the ETV Program [FAQ]
back to home
Target Technology Fields Fields Currently Targeted Small hydropower generation technology field Global warming mitigation technology field (lighting energy reduction technologies) Human waste treatment in natural areas: human waste treatment technology field Organic wastewater treatment technology field Water environment improvement technologies in enclosed coastal seas field Water purification technologies for lakes and reservoirs field Heat-island mitigation technology field (technologies for reducing air conditioning loads by using building envelope systems) Heat-island mitigation technology field (heat pump air-conditioning systems using ground source heat, wastewater heat, etc.) Simplified VOC, etc. measurement technology field
Contact Us
Japanese
Mechanism of the ETV Program
Program Implementation Guidelines
Program Implementation System
Flow of the Program
Verification Test Procedure
FAQ

FAQ

Frequently asked questions regarding the ETV Program and their answers are listed below.
  • What is the Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program?
  • There are instances where advanced environmental technologies which are ready for commercial application and which are believed to be useful are not widely used as such end-users as local governments, private enterprises and consumers cannot use them with peace of mind because of the absence of objective assessment of their environmental conservation effects, etc. The ETV Program is a program to objectively verify the environmental conservation effects, etc. of advanced environmental technologies which have not yet been widely used by third party organizations. (The Program was implemented as a pilot program from FY 2003 to FY 2007). The implementation of the ETV Program is expected to facilitate the dissemination of environmental technologies developed by venture businesses, etc. and to vitalize the economy through the intensification of environmental conservation activities and the development of local environmental industries.
  • What is “Verification”?
  • The term “verification” in the ETV Program means the process by which the important performance of an environmental technology from the viewpoint of its environmental conservation effects, secondary environmental impacts and other relevant environmental matters (environmental conservation effects, etc.) is shown as objective data based on tests, etc. by a third party organization which is neither a developer nor a user of the said technology. “Verification” is different to “certification” where certain standards are introduced to judge the compliance of a product or technology with the said standards.
  • What is a third party organization which conducts verification tests?
  • A third party organization means a “verification organization” which is selected through an open invitation process and which is responsible for open invitation for and the selection of target technologies and the implementation of verification tests.
  • How are target technology fields selected?
  • The MoE selects the target technology fields of the ETV Program from the following viewpoints while taking the results of discussions by the Advisory Committee on the ETV Program into consideration.
    (1) A technology field where a need for verification exists among developers and users (local governments, consumers and others)
    (2) A technology field where technology verification is effective for the dissemination and promotion of the technologies in question
    (3) A technology field where no technology verification, etc. are conducted under any other existing program
    (excluding those technology fields for which a technology verification program has already been implemented by local governments, etc. but the said program may become more effective with the assistance of the MoE)
    (4) A technology field where verification is feasible a) A technology field where verification is feasible from the viewpoint of budget and implementation system, etc. b) A technology field where a protocol can be established in an appropriate manner
    (5) A technology field where the utilization of information relating to the said technology field will facilitate environmental administration (from a nationwide perspective)
  • How are individual target technologies for verification selected?
  • A verification organization conducts an open invitation for the technologies to be targeted in each target field while developers and dealers which want the verification of technologies apply for the said verification. A verification organization selects the target technologies based on the examination results of the relevant working group and has these technologies approved by the MoE.
  • Who bears the cost of the ETV Program?
  • The Program is implemented in accordance with the ETV Program Implementation Guidelines in the fiscal year concerned and is funded by a government-sponsored system and fee-based system. Under the government-sponsored system, the verification applicant pays the delivery and installation costs of the target technology to the test facility, the operation cost of the said technology in the case of an in-situ verification test and the removal and return costs of the said technology after completion of the test while the MoE pays the cost of measuring the environmental conservation effects of the said technology and other expenses. Under the fee-based system (in those technology fields where the verification system is firmly established), the applicant pays the actual cost associated with the implementation of the verification test (costs arising at the verification organization, including the cost of measurement and analysis, personnel cost, cost of supplies and travel cost) as the verification fee in addition to the standard payment by the applicant under the government-sponsored system.
  • How are the verification test results handled?
  • After approving the verification test reports, the MoE issues the logo and verification number to the applicant concerned. All verification test reports are registered and are accessible on the ETV website regardless of the nature of the test results.
  • How are patent rights handled?
  • There is a mechanism for a verification organization or a verification applicant to retain patent rights, etc. obtained as a result of the verification test so that such patent rights, etc. can be efficiently utilized.