2 MW In-Factory Solar Project in Udo, Kumamoto

Udo city of Kumamoto prefecture announced on 22nd that Kyuden Ecosol, a group company of Kyushu Electric Power, was going to install a solar power stations of 2 MW in a factory owned by Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry.

The project is a joint enterprise by the two companies as well as Udo city and Kumamoto prefecture.

It aims to commercial operation from November this year.

Udo city: Press Release (in Japanese) 2013/04/22
http://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/uploaded/life/1070792_1163484_misc.pdf

Tablet Type Solar Monitor by Lixil

The housing equipment maker Lixil released on 25th its new product of home solar monitor.
A seven-inch Android OS tablet is used to monitor the generation, selling amount, and in-house consumption of electricity by solar panels.

The tablet is portable and is able to display the status of up to three power conditioning subsystems.
The price is 58,000 JPY.

Lixil News Release 2013/04/25
http://newsrelease.lixil.co.jp/news/2013/060_roof_0425_01.html

World Highest Solar Conversion Efficiency of 37.9% by Sharp

The electronics maker Sharp announced on 24th that its newly-developed "Triple-Junction Compound Solar Cell" had proven the world highest conversion efficiency of 37.9%.

For years the company has been renewing its own world records: 35.8% in 2009, 36.9% in 2011, and 37.7% in 2012.

The details are as below:

Sharp: Press Release (in English)
http://sharp-world.com/corporate/news/130424.html

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Nikkei BP 2013/04/25 (in Japanese)
http://business.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/emf/20130425/247226/

EVG's Anti-reflection Coating to Make Solar 3% More Efficient

EV Group Japan, a subsidiary of Australian EVG, hold a press conference on 22nd about its state-of-the-art technologies on silicon wafer and on manufacturing equipment of solar panel.

The company said its photoresist applicator makes solar panel 3% more efficient.

(The details in English might be available at the Australian EVG's website.)

Monoist 2013/04/25 12:00
http://monoist.atmarkit.co.jp/mn/articles/1304/25/news033.html

Suit against Mega Solar near Yoshinogari Ruins, Saga

48 members from The Society for Overall Preservation of Yoshinogari Ruins and other groups filed a suit with the district court of Saga prefecture on 23rd. The suit is to stop an on-going mega-solar project at a neighbouring lot of the ruins.

The project of annual generation of 13 million kWh, led by NTT group and prefectural bodies, is aiming to start operation by June this year.

Yoshinogari ruins are one of the biggest ruins of ancient Yayoi Era, which is thought to have been from three century B.C. to three century A.D.

"The ruins are extremely valuable from achademic viewpoints. But the construction of the solar facility would damage their archaeological and historical values," the plaintiff said.

Yomiuri 2013/04/24 18:54
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20130424-OYT1T00464.htm?from=ylist

Asahi Glass' Fiber Reinforced Pｌastics for Solar Stand in Hyogo

The glass manufacturer Asahi Glass announced on 23rd that it would construct 4.2 MW scale solar power station in its idle land in Ako city of Hyogo prefecture. The seaside site was a saltpan in the past.

The supporting frame of solar panel by the company itself is made of fiber reinforced pｌastics, which is strong against salt damage. That is the selling point of the project.

The details are available at the press release below in English.

Asahi Glass Press Release (in English): 2013/04/23
http://www.agc.com/english/news/2013/0423e.pdf
Nikkei BP: 2013/04/25
http://business.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/emf/20130425/247225/

Facade Design with Solar and Green

Sumitomo Mitsui Construction introduced the new facade of its Technology Development Center in Nagareyama city of Chiba prefecture.

The face wall consists of two types of amorphous silicon thin film solar panels (25 panels, 1.73 kW output) and vertically-set plants.

The design won an in-house competition out of 10 candidate plans.

Nikkan Kogyo: 2013/04/26
http://www.nikkan.co.jp/news/nkx0920130426ceai.html?news-t0426
Sumitomo Mitsui Construction: Press release (in Japanese): 2013/04/23
http://www.smcon.co.jp/2013/04235444/

Nigerian Power and Energy Forum Held Today

(photo by Uzawa K.)

An international conference was held today in Tokyo on power and energy sectors in Nigeria.

Details: The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria:
http://www.nigeriaembassy.jp/announcements/energy

Marubeni's Subsidiary to Sell Electricity by Solar in Hokkaido

Mibugawa Power Company, a 100% subsidiary of the trading company Marubeni, is going to start electric power selling in Hokkaido.

The company will construct four solar facilities in Shimizu town, whose total output to be 3 MW. The power stations  will commence operation in December this year.

The Marubeni group is keen on developing renewable energy projects throughout Japan.

Nikkei BP: 2013/04/24
http://business.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/emf/20130424/247188/
Mibugawa Power (in Japanese)
http://www.mibuden.com/

Two Mini-hydro Stations Planned at Dams in Hyogo

The Agency of Enterprise of Hyogo prefecture will construct two mini-hydro stations in cooperation with Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The stations will be installed at Dondo dam in Miki city and Ookawase dam in Mita city. The maximum output will be around 200-300 kW each, and all of the electricity is to be sold to Kansai Electric Power.

Nikkei: 2013/4/23 0:29
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASJB22031_S3A420C1LDA000/

Agricultural Water for Hydro Power in Kami-Ina, Nagano

A society for the study of mini hydro power was established on 22nd in Kami-Ina county of Nagano prefecture
It aims to utilize the agricultural water channel in the area for mini-scale hydro power generators.

inamai.com: 2013/04/22
http://inamai.com/news.php?c=norin&i=201304221926030000051320

Tsuru City to Further Micro Hydro Project

Tsuru city of Yamanashi prefecture will lead to found a private organization in May in order to promote the city's further engagement in hydro power.

The city is renowned for its pioneer projects of hydro power, such as diffenrent types of pico hydro generator named "Genki-kun 1" to "3," which has been operating since 2006.

Yomiuri: Yamanashi Area: 2012/04/22
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/e-japan/yamanashi/news/20130421-OYT8T00794.htm

Genki-kun 1 (photo by Uzawa K.)

New Megasolar Planned at Kansai Airport

New Kansai International Airport (KIX) will install a mega-solar facility by the airstrip. The station will have 72 thousand of thin-film panels. The annual generation will be 12 million kWh.

The facility will start operation in 2014.

Asahi 2013/04/23 20:56
http://www.asahi.com/business/update/0423/OSK201304230055.html

Kyocera's New Lithium-ion Battery for Higher FiT Value

Kyocera will start selling new types of lithium-ion battery system on May 7th.

This new product can make the surplus of electricity by home solar PVs bypass the battery itself. The current directly goes to the grid.

In that case the FiT value of "Solar Panels Only" can be applied, which is 38 JPY (*) per kWh and is 7 yen higher than that with a conventional product.

(*This fiscal year)

SUUMO 2013/04/20 09:20
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20130420-00042245-suumoj-life
Kyocere Press Release (in Japanese): 2013/04/19
http://www.kyocera.co.jp/news/2013/0403_aike.html

Spanish Isofoton to Expand Megasolars in Japan

Isofoton announced on 18th that the company would expand its mega-solar project, whose total output would be 44 MW by the end of 2014.

Several stations of 2 MW scale will be installed in 2013. The potential sites already appointed by names are: Sakuragawa city of Ibaraki prefecture and somewhere in Hiroshima prefecture.

The company has already completed in the beginning of this year a mega-solar station in Ube city of Yamaguchi prefecture, as a joint project with five other companies.

Smart Japan: 2013/04/22 09:00
http://www.itmedia.co.jp/smartjapan/articles/1304/22/news026.html

Fuji Electric's In-factory Megasolar in Operation

Fuji Electric announced on 15th that it had started operation of its in-factory power station in Minami-alps city of Yamanashi prefecture.

The output is 2MW. The facility uses 2 PCSs of 1MW scale. And the conversion efficiency is 98.5%, which the company says to be the highest in the industry.

Fuji Electric Press Release (in Japanese) 2013/04/15
http://www.fujielectric.co.jp/about/news/detail/2013/20130415150020166.html

Portable 75000mAh Battery with PVs by System Talks

System Talks, in cooperation with not-for-profit Ecology Online, has developed the nano-size power station "Tiny Light." The company started selling on 20th.

The portable power station consists of a 40W solar panels whose conversion efficiency is 19% high and a big 75000 mAh battery which can charge up to 70 cellphones.

The price is 58,000 JPY.

Kakaku.com 2013/04/19 19:30
http://news.kakaku.com/prdnews/cd=kaden/ctcd=2209/id=30147/

MKI started Cloud Surveillance on Mega-solars

Mitsui Knowledge Industry (MKI) has started providing a remote surveillance system on mega-solar facilities using a cloud environment.

The main functions of the new system are:
 - Remote surveillance of mega-solar facilities
 - Collection and control of generation data.
 - Reporting the surveillance records and analyses.

The company aims to receive orders from 150 solar power stations, whose total output would be 500 MW.

Sankei Biz: 2013/4/19 09:38
http://www.sankeibiz.jp/business/news/130419/prl1304190938001-n1.htm
MKI Press Release (in Japanese): 2013/04/18
http://www.mki.co.jp/service_news/service_news_2013/0418_01.html
MKI (English Webpage):
http://www.mki.co.jp/english/index.html