Commercial Operation of 2MW Solar in Joetsu, Niigata

INPEX started commercial operation of its 2 MW solar plant in Joetsu city of Niigata.
The annual output is estimated to be 2.48 million kWh.

The detailed info available in English at:

INPEX Press Release (in English)
http://www.inpex.co.jp/english/news/pdf/2013/e20130418.pdf

Also (in Japanese):
Niigata Nippo 2013/04/19 10:03
http://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/news/economics/20130419038138.html

Subaru to Embark on Hybrid Vehicle

Subaru announced today that it will release its first hybrid vehicle in June. The car will be based on the existing SUV "Impreza XV."

The company said the fuel efficiency of the car is 20 km per liter, which is 30 % better than the original gasoline-powered vehicle.

Yomiuri: 2013/04/19
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/atcars/news/20130419-OYT8T00295.htm?cx_thumbnail=07&from=yolsp

Circulating Water in Imperial Hotel for Electricity

Smart Japan reported on 18th that Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, a famous luxurious hotel near the Imperial Palace, has installed a 3 kW mini hydro generator in its residential tower.

The generator takes advantage of in-tower circulating water for air conditioning.

The "penstock" is 35 m high, and the water is circulating for 24/7.

The hotel estimates 240 thousand JPY of electricity cost cut per year, as well as 5.6 tons of CO2 emission reduction.

Smart Japan 2013/04/18 07:00
http://www.itmedia.co.jp/smartjapan/articles/1304/18/news029.html

Study Seminars in Tokyo and Osaka by Mini-hydro Council

The Council for Nationwide Promotion of Mini-hydro, or Zenkoku Shosuiryoku Riyou Suishin Kyogikai, will hold study seminars in Tokyo and Osaka:

Introductory seminar in Tokyo:
 -on April 26th 13:30-17:00
 -Unfortunately, the capacity is already FULL.

Workshops in Tokyo and Osaka:
 -May 24th-25th in Tokyo
 -June 7th-8th in Osaka
 -9:30-around 17:00
 -Capacity: 60 seats for each
 -12,000 JPY for non-membership

If you will be in Japan on the day and want to contact persons in charge in this field, this might be a good occasion :)

Zenkoku Shosuiryoku Riyou Suishin Kyogikai (The Council for Nationwide Promotion of Mini-hydro)
Introductory seminar in Tokyo
http://j-water.jp/conference/?p=563
Workshops in Tokyo and Osaka
http://j-water.jp/conference/?p=567

ReneSola to Sell Polycrystalline Panels to Megasolar in Yamanashi

China-based ReneSola concluded a contract for sale of its Virus II (260 W) high-performance PV panels to the Uenohara Megasolar Project in Yamanashi prefecture. The sale is 2 MW scale.

The megasolar facility is being developed by MDI-SB Solar, a joint company of Mitsuboshi Diamond Industrial and Sumikin Bussan, which also plans to construct one in Tatebayashi city of Gunma.


Digital PR Platform: 2013/04/18 16:45
http://digitalpr.jp/r/4069

ReneSola
http://www.renesola.com/?t=en
Mitsuboshi Diamond Industrial: Press Release (in Japanese) 2013/04/08
http://www.mitsuboshidiamond.com/2013/04/post-10.html

Panasinic's Solar Lantern Project in Cambodia

Panasonic is implementing its project of giving one hundred thousand solar lanterns to developing countries by 2018.

The recent progress in Cambodia is aired by the company.

Youtube:
http://youtu.be/F1itSf02Tz0
Sankei: 2013.4.18 11:29
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/economy/news/130418/prl13041811290016-n1.htm

World-Highest Capacity Battery in Hokkaido

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan will install a rechargeable battery of the world-highest capacity in Hokkaido. It is to promote introducing renewable energy in the island.

A 60 MW scale battery will be made at a transformer substation in the south of Hokkaido by the end of 2014.

Because of sudden sprouts of renewable energy in the island, especially mega solars, their total capacity is said to be already beyond the capacity of the grid.

Nikkei 2013/04/17 21:53
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFS1702N_X10C13A4EE8000/

Problems in Second Year Feed-in-Tariff Policy

TV Tokyo Website

TV Tokyo aired on 4th a good report on the problematic of current FiT in Japan, which has come to the second fiscal year this April.


(Bullet-point summary)

- A real estate company installed 239 solar panels on the roof of its student apartment house.
The company plans to do the same at 6 more buildings, intending to sell electricity to power company.

- Japanese FiT policy started last year [*last July]. For the first fiscal year [*April 2012 to March 2013] the tariff was 42 JPY/kWh, which is applicable for coming 20 years. As for the FY 2013, it will be around 38.

- In last fiscal year, the total capacity of 4.7 GW solar was constructed throughout Japan.
It equals to that of five nuclear power plants.

- Let's take Miyama Goudo [*Joint] Power Plant an example. The solar plant of 23 MW scale by Shibaura Group Holdings has just started operation in late March. It is the largest working solar facility at the moment.

- Mr. Tetsumi Shinchi, chairman and executive director of Shubaura Group, calls the current FiT "first come, first profit" scheme.

- The company also made the first "mega-solar fund" in Japan, which successfully collected shares of five million JPY each for a short time. It plans to install a mega-solar facility in Nishiki town of Kumamoto prefecture. The capital will be repaied after 20 years, and the revenue from electricity sales will be shared.

- However, a big headache is the reception by power companies, Mr. Shinchi says. When someone buys a piece of land for solar project and then applies for grid connection, he or she will be said in most cases, "In this area the capacity is already full."

- This kind of connection refusal is everywhere in the country. The mega-solar constructor Fujiwara in Kamagaya city of Chiba prefecture says the connection has been problematic especially after January 2013.

- President Mr. Kimura said, "Last year the connection cost was less than a million JPY, while the power company now says 40 million in one case."

- The company concluded a contract of a lot in Narita. After that, Tokyo Electric Power Company replied the connection cost would be 40 million JPY and that there was an alternative of reducing the output to one-third. The installation plan was given up.

- In the guideline of grid connection by METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), it is prohibited to pass electric current higher than substation capacity. Also, connection cost has to be paid by the seller side.

- Mr. Kimura foretold that in one year it would become impossible to connect with the grid everywhere, it the situation didn't change.


TV Tokyo: Morning Satellite: 2013/04/04
http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/mv/nms/feature/post_38627

Aung San Suu Kyi Visited Micro Hydro in Kyoto

Myanmar's main opposition party leader Aung San Suu Kyi visited Kyoto on 14th, where she had shortly lived in 1985 for research purpose.

Her first destination of this time was a 5.5 kW micro hydro in Arashiyama.

The facility is the first case of mini-scale hydro power generator installed in the first class national rivers of Japan.

Reports say Suu Kyi is keen on small-scale hydro power because newly constructed big dams are causing  the destruction of the environment in her country.

Asahi: 2013/04/14 15:43
http://www.asahi.com/international/update/0414/TKY201304140055.html

Geothermal Symposium in Sapporo on 20th

Three ministries of Japan (METI, MOEJ, and MAFF) are going to hold a conference on geothermal in Sapporo on April 20th.

It is to promote public understandings about electricity generation by geothermal energy.

The maximum capacity is 400, entrance for free.
And the application deadline is 19th.

Apply from here (in Japanese):
https://wwws.meti.go.jp/interface/php/enecho/chinetsu/event/
Kankyo Business Online: 2013/04/16
http://www.kankyo-business.jp/news/004639.php

Smart Houses by Sekisui Heim in Mito, Ibaraki

The house manufacturer Ibaraki Sekisui Heim will start selling first 17 houses with lot in Mito city of Ibaraki prefecture on 27th.

The residences are equipped with solar panels, home energy management system (HEMS), and high-capacity lithium ion batteries.

Sekisui group is trying to develop its "Smart Heim City Project" throughout Japan; the above is the first case in Ibaraki.

Suumo Journal: 2013/04/16
http://suumo.jp/journal/2013/04/16/41893/?vos=nsuusbsp20111206001

Chuetsu Pulp to Launch Biomass and Solar Power Generation in Kagoshima

Chuetsu Pulp & Paper (HQ in Takakoka, Toyama) will embark on power generation in Satsumasendai city of Kagoshima prefecture.

It will intall a power plant by woody biomass in its existing paper factory. The output will be 25 MW, the annual generation 154 GWh, and the annual sale 4.8 billion JPY.

The company plans to start the operation in November 2015.

Also, it will newly construct a mega-solar facility in the same city. The output will be 1.8 MW, with the annual generation of 1,900 MWh and the annual sale of 70 million JPY.

The operation of this mega solar will commence in August 2013.

Zaikei Shinbun: 2013/04/15 11:10
http://www.zaikei.co.jp/article/20130415/129262.html
Chuetsu Pulp & Paper: Press Release (Japanese) 2013/04/12
http://www.chuetsu-pulp.co.jp/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/130412hatudennjigyou.pdf

German PhotoVolt to Install Mega Solar in Remote Island of Nagasaki

German photovoltaic developer PhotoVolt Development Partners will start solar business in Japan.

It plans to install a 475 MW scale plant in Ukushima of Sassebo city, Nagasaki prefecture, as well as a submarine cable to connect the island with the mainland of Nagasaki.

Nikkei 2013/4/14 2:00
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDD1301R_T10C13A4TJC000/
PhotoVolt Development Partners: News 03.04.2013(English)
http://www.pvdp.eu/news/read/article/japan.html

Mr. Kerry Met Solar Car Students

US Secretary of State John Kerry met university students of Japan and the US in Tokyo yesterday.

He was especially keen on talking with a solar car team from Tokai University, which had won international solar car races.

Yamaguchi Ube Keizai News: 2013/04/14
http://yamaguchi.keizai.biz/gpnews/6417/
JIJI Press 2013/04/14 18:47
http://www.jiji.com/jc/eqa?g=eqa&k=2013041400184

"Bubble Character" of Megasolar Rush Pointed Out

Economic News wrote on 13th an article about the construction rush of megasolar facilities in Japan today.

The article grounds on "The Research Results on Factory Location Trend" of last fiscal year (FY 2012), which was recently publicized by METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) on 5th.

The research showed how many and how much land of over 1,000 square meters had been acquired for the purpose of electricity generation excluding hydro and geothermal.

According to the research, the number of land acquisition was 289, while only 13 in the previous year. As for the total area, 2,039 ha in FY 2012 as compared to 31 ha in FY 2011.

The article contends most of the land acquisition above was for megasolar facilities because the construction of thermal and wind power plant is not active these days. And it points out a "bubble character" of megasolar construction rush of today.

Japanese Feed-in-Tariff scheme started in July 2012.

Economic News 2013/04/13 20:09
http://economic.jp/?p=16869

Chinese Skysolar to Expand Solar in Hokkaido

Skysolar Japan (Tokyo), a subsidiary of Skysolar Holdings (Shanghai, China), announced on 12th that it would expand its solar business in Hokkaido prefecture.

The company plans to install 10-20 facilities in next two years. The output of each station ranges from 500 to 2,000 kW scale.

Skysolar has already started operation of the first in Kamishihoro town.

Nikkei 2013/4/13 12:00
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFC1200H_S3A410C1L41000/

Woody Biomass Power Plant in Matsue, Shimane

The office stationery company Nakabayashi newly embarks on electricity generation by woody biomass.

The company's subsidiary, which will be established in May, will install a biomass power plant in the company's existing factory in Matsue of Shimane prefecture.

The electricity output will be 6,250 kW, and annual production 4,342 kWh.
The company estimates an annual sale of 1.3 billion JPY.

Searchina 2013/04/12 12:14
http://news.searchina.ne.jp/disp.cgi?y=2013&d=0412&f=business_0412_057.shtml
Nakabayashi: Press Release: 2013/04/12
http://www.nakabayashi.co.jp/company/ir/pdf/20130412.pdf

10 MW Solar Power in Misawa, Aomori

The wind turbine manufacture Energy Products (Tokyo) and its associated company Scientech (Misawa city, Aomori prefecture) will install 10 MW solar power plant in Misawa city.

They also plan to construct a wind turbine factory which annually produces 480 turbines of 20 kW output.

The solar facility will be of the largest scale in Aomori prefecture. And the total output will equal to 15 percent of the electricity consumption in the city.

Kahiku Shinpo: 2013/04/13
http://www.kahoku.co.jp/news/2013/04/20130413t22014.htm