Photo 1. Participants of the ECAP38.
Tokyo, Japan, 8-12 December 2025 – The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), in collaboration with the Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ), co-organised the 38th Energy Conservation Workshop under ASEAN-Japan Energy Efficiency Partnership (ECAP38). The Workshop was attended by representatives from ACE, ECCJ, and ten ASEAN Member States (AMS) – Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
ECAP38 is a capacity-building workshop that aims to provide training on the SAEMAS Advanced Module (AM) to develop experts who can realise Carbon Neutrality (CN) as a form of advanced energy management. Specifically, the AM will develop experts who are well versed in CN technologies and corporate decarbonisation management, and who can plan and execute projects related to CN in factories and buildings. The workshop aims to cultivate experts who are not only proficient in conventional energy conservation but also in CN technologies, carbon pricing, sustainability disclosure, and enterprise-wide decarbonisation management. Successful participants of ECAP38 are positioned to be certified as provisional ASEAN Senior Energy Management Professional (ASEAN S-EMP).
The five-day ECAP38 programme combined policy lectures, management and technology sessions, hands-on exercises, site visits, and a final examination.
Photo 2. Classroom Session on CN-related technologies
The first day of ECAP38 began with programme guidance session led by Masanori Iwahashi, ECCJ, who outlined the objectives and expected outcomes of the AM trial run and emphasised the role of ASEAN Senior Energy Management Professionals in driving carbon neutrality across the region. This was followed by opening remarks from METI Japan, representatives of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation–Sub Sector Network (EE&C-SSN), ACE, and ECCJ, which collectively underscored the importance of aligning ASEAN’s energy management capacity-building with Japan’s experience in long-term decarbonisation and advanced energy efficiency. Building on these strategic messages, the morning continued with a dedicated session on CN Policy delivered by Mardika Firlina, Technical Officer of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Department at ACE, setting a common understanding of regional CN commitments, policy directions, and the need for coordinated action among ASEAN Member States. This was then followed by sessions on CN management, which delves into sustainability reporting (including TCFD and CDP), international CN initiatives, carbon accounting, and exercises on CN management. The final session of the day focused on advanced energy efficiency and conservation (EE&C) technologies.
The second day of the workshop focused entirely on CN-related technologies such as advanced thermal power generation, CN-oriented electric power systems, hydrogen-related technologies toward CN, carbon recycling and CCUS, renewable energy, and low-carbon transportation, with integrated exercises to deepen participants’ understanding of system-level decarbonisation.
On the third day, participants engaged in the CN diagnosis for buildings, included a site visit to the TEPCO Higashi-Ogu Building, a retrofit ZEB building, where participants observed practical ZEB retrofitting measures and their operational implications. Located in Arakawa-ward, Tokyo, this 9-floor office building exemplifies a ZEB Ready building, achieving a Building Energy Index (BEI) of 58% energy conservation against the reference benchmark through innovative reuse of its existing water thermal storage tanks. Key features observed included an air-source heat pump chiller system, outdoor air handling units (OHU) for latent/sensible heat separation, floor-by-floor air handling units (AHU) with EC motors and variable air volume (VAV) control, push-pull fans for window thermal barriers, sun control films, and LED lighting with illuminance sensors.
Photo 3. Site Visit to TEPCO Higashi-Ogu Building.
The fourth day continued CN diagnosis for buildings from the previous day, and was then followed with a session on CN diagnosis for factories, emphasising how to identify, plan, and manage CN projects at facility level. The session emphasised a structured flow on energy data collection and analysis via energy intensity metrics, factory surveys using checklists and measuring instruments for utilisation rates and losses, and proposal of CN measures. Participants explored general procedures including visualisation of energy flows (distinguishing fixed/variable energy, utility conversion/supply losses), field surveys with portable data loggers and illuminance meters, and prioritisation of measures like high-efficiency equipment, waste heat recovery, process improvements (e.g., defect reduction, tact time optimisation), fuel switching to low-carbon options, and renewables such as solar.
The fifth day was dedicated to a comprehensive examination on six key subjects: CN policy, CN management, advanced EE&C technologies, CN technologies, CN projects for buildings, and CN diagnosis in factories followed by sessions on evaluation, future utilisation plans, and a closing ceremony with certificate awarding. To complete the Advanced Module, participants were required to sit a 120-minute open-material examination covering all six subjects of the ECAP38 curriculum. Completion was granted to those passing at least five subjects and achieving a total score of 420 points or higher, with those passing in this ECAP38 trial recognised as provisional ASEAN S-EMP. In addition, participants were requested to submit an evaluation sheet and a report on how they will utilise AM training outcomes in their national context, including which topics should feed into future national policies, training programmes, and potential energy manager recertification systems. The event ended with Rio Jon Piter Silitonga, Senior Officer of CEE, ACE, and Masayasu Koizumi, Managing Director, EECJ, delivering their closing remarks.
Photo 4. Mr. Rio Jon Piter Silitonga (left) and Mr. Masayasu Koizumi (right) delivering their closing remarks.
ASEAN-Japan Energy Efficiency Partnership (AJEEP), as part of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Energy and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (SOME-METI) Work Programme for 2025-2026, is a regional cooperation initiative between ASEAN and Japan, implemented by the ACE and ECCJ with financial support from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI). This partnership aims to strengthen the capacity of AMS and reduce disparities in EE&C policies and practices.
