Seiko's new Solar Watch with GPS "ASTRON"

The news website "Searchina" reported that Seiko's new Solar Watch with GPS sensor was collecting popularity world wide.

The report wrote that both Prime Minister Abe and Foreign Minister Kishida love this GPS solar watch.

To me personally, the price is a big obstacle... :)

Searchina: 2013/09/05 13:01
http://news.searchina.ne.jp/disp.cgi?y=2013&d=0905&f=business_0905_050.shtml
Seiko: Global Site:
http://www.seikowatches.com/

2.0 MW Solar Started Operation in Sennan, Osaka

A joint company by NTT Finance and Nihon Comsys started the operation of a 1,990 kW solar in the sewage treatment facility "Nanbu Mizu Mirai Center" in Sennan city, Osaka prefecture.

The project was entrusted by the prefectural government.

The electricity to be generated by 7,920 solar panels of the station will be sold to Kansai Electric Power.

The annual sale is estimated to be about 90 million JPY.

After deducting the annual lease payment of 62.4 million JPY to the joint company as well as electricity charge for maintenance of 1.5 million JPY to the power company, Osaka prefecture will take a revenue of 26 million JPY per year.

Mainichi: Area Osaka: 2013/09/05
http://mainichi.jp/area/osaka/news/20130905ddlk27020353000c.html
NTT finance: Press Release (in Japanese)
http://www.ntt-finance.co.jp/news/pdf/130902.pdf

Benart Completed 4.6 MW Solar in Jyoyo, Kyoto

Benart in Kyoto city, which was founded by liquid concrete manufacturers, completed the construction of a 4.6 MW solar in Jyoyo city, Kyoto prefecture.

19,040 panels were installed in an abandoned site of mountain gravel collection.

All the electricity will be sold to Kansai Electric Power, so that the total investment of 1.2 billion JPY will be paid back in less than 10 years.

The utilization of old sites of pit gravel collection has been a challenge to the city for a long time.

Yomiuri: Area Kyoto 2013/09/05
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/e-japan/kyoto/news/20130904-OYT8T01466.htm
Benart (in Japanese)
http://benart.co.jp/solar/index.html

1.3 MW Solar Started Operation in Eniwa, Hokkaido

ITK Solar Hokkaido in Sapporo city completed the construction and started the operation of a 1.31 MW solar in Eniwa city, Hokkaido.

5,460 panels were installed on an old golf course of about 30 thousand square meters.

All the generated electricity will be sold to Hokkaido Electric Power.

The station is the first of four being planned by the company.
The total investment of the four stations which produce 6.3 kWh per year will be 1.5 billion JPY.

Web Minpou: 2013/09/05
http://www.tomamin.co.jp/2013094458

Shikaoi Town in Hokkaido to Advance Heat Utilization

Shikaoi town of Hokkaido prefecture, where its biogas plant from livestock manure has been operating since 2008, is going to advance utilization of heat from the plant.

The town will use the exhausted heat for greenhouses of mango as well as for storehouses of sweet potato.

As for mango cultivation, the town intends to fully utilize stored snow to make chilly air for growing the fruit in summer and shipping it in winter.

The Japan Agricultural News: 2013/09/02
http://www.agrinews.co.jp/modules/pico/index.php?content_id=23142
Shikaoi Town: Biogas Plant (in Japanese)
http://www.town.shikaoi.lg.jp/machizukuri/seisaku-keikaku/kakusyu-sengen/kankyoubikasengen/kankyouhozencenter/biogasplant

Honda's New "FIT Hybrid" Boasts of 36.4 km/l Fuel Efficiency

Honda released on 5th its new product of FIT Hybrid which boasts of fuel efficiency of 36.4 km/liter.

The fuel efficiency of this second-generation hybrid car is beyond that of Toyota's recent most-selling "AQUA" (35.4 km/liter)

The price of the car starts from 1,635 thousand JPY.

The company also presented the third generation of FIT (non-hybrid model) at the same press conference.

Car Watch: 2013/9/5 11:30
http://car.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/photo/20130905_613905.html

Tottori Prefecture Started Operation of Microhydro at Kashou Dam

Tottori prefectural government held a ceremony for operation start of its microhydro station at Kashu dam in Nanbu town.

The microhydro utilizes discharge water from the dam completed in 1989.

The output capacity of the turbine is 260 kW, and the annual generation is estimated to be 1.4 million kWh.
The revenue from electricity sale to be 40 million JPY per year.

And the investment was 320 million JPY.

Nihonkai Shimbun: 2013/09/04
http://www.nnn.co.jp/news/130904/20130904006.html

Optex's Three Types of Security Sensors for Solar Station

The sensor manufacturer Optex in Otsu city, Shiga prefecture, is going to enhance sales of outdoor sensor appliances for megasolar power station.

The company is selling three types of security sensors: 1) infrared type, 2) optical fiber type, and 3) laser beam type.

The first is able to draw a cordon line of 200 meters at maximum. The second can detect those who are to trespass the fence. The third recognizes human movement in the set area.

Kyoto Shimbun: 2013/09/04 09:10
http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/economy/article/20130904000018

Citizens' Operation of 360 kW Solar at Old School in Misato, Miyazaki

An old school abandoned two years ago will be reborn as a solar station in Misato town of Miyazaki prefecture.

A 360 kW solar facility will be installed by the individual power producer Tomoe Kikaku in Tokyo.

The generated electricity will be used in municipal facilities. And local residents are going to conduct the operation and the maintenance themselves.

According to the municipality, it must be a rare example that local citizens take part in maintenance of solar station.

The station will start operation by the end of 2013.

Nishihinon Shimbun: 2013/09/04 21:29
http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nnp/miyazaki/article/37564

Miho Town of Ibaraki to Build and Operate 2.0 MW Solar

Miho town of Ibaraki prefecture announced on 4th that it would build and operate a 2.0 MW solar power station at a demolished hospital.

It is settled that the land of 3.6 hectares, which had been abandoned and returned to nationally-owned since 1997, could be sold to the town.

The town aims to start the operation of the solar station in the summer of 2014.

Ibaraki Shimbun: 2013/09/05
http://ibarakinews.jp/news/news.php?f_jun=13783033326921

Sharp's Seventh Megasolar Started Operation in Mihara, Hiroshima

Sharp started the operation of a 1.9 MW solar station in Mihara city of Hiroshima prefecture on August 30th.

The electricity will be sold to Chugoku Electric Power at 40 JPY per kWh for 20 years.

The station is what Crystal Clear Solar, a joint company of Sharp and Fuyo General Lease, had committed Sharp to the construction and the operation.

For the company this is the seventh solar station in Japan.
The output capacity of all the stations became 16.8 MW.

SmartJapan: 2013/09/02 09:00
http://www.itmedia.co.jp/smartjapan/articles/1309/02/news030.html

Solar Frontier's CIS Thin-Film Showed Good Quality in Saudi Arabia

Solar Frontier, a subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu, recently published the results of electricity generation of its 10.5 MW solar station in Dhahran city of Saudi Arabia.

CIS thin-film solar panels of the station are proving their good quality in a harsh desert circumstance so to generate 8,498 MWh in 6 months.

Backed up by the result data, the company intends to increase sales of its CIS module in the country.

Nikkei BP: 2013/08/29
http://business.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/emf/20130829/252763/

Solar to Stop Depopulation: Project Started in Tokushima

The general incorporated association Tokushima Chiiki Energy in Tokushima city of Tokushima prefecture has launched a unique project to contribute to depopulating local communities in the prefecture.

The project is named "Community Happy Solar." It collects donations from citizens as well as financial aids from banks, etc.

Then it constructs middle-scale solar facilities in mountainous or remote regions. The generated electricity will be sold to power company.

And the revenue excluding necessary expenses will be utilized to promote local agriculture, forestry, and fishery.

Those who donate will be rewarded by periodic gifts of local specialty products.

The association has started its first project in Sanagouchi village to build a 120 kW solar.
It is collecting donations of 90 thousand JPY per unit until the end of September.

Mainichi: Area Tokushima: 2013/09/01
http://mainichi.jp/area/tokushima/news/20130901ddlk36020342000c.html

Satsuma-Sendai City to Lease Roofs of 41 Municipal Facilities for Solar

Satsuma-Sendai city of Kagoshima prefecture is going to lease for solar projects the roofs of 41 municipal facilities such as elementary schools, local community centers, and meal providers.

The condition is that the annual rent should be more than 100 JPY per square meter of roof.

According to the city government, all the area of the roofs amounts to 220 thousand square meters.

If the roofs are fully leased, the total output capacity of the solar panels on them is estimated to be 1.0 MW.

Yomiuri: Area Kagoshima: 2013/09/01
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/e-japan/kagoshima/news/20130901-OYT8T00002.htm

1.2 MW Solar Completed in Kurihara, Miyagi

Kurihara New Energy Development completed the construction of 1.2 MW solar station in Kurihara city of Miyagi prefecture.

This is the first megasolar facility in the city.

7,740 photovoltaic panels were installed in a lot of 1.8 hectares.
The annual generation will be 1.15 million kWh.
Tohoku Electric Power is going to buy all the electricity to be generated.

The investment was 400 million JPY.

Kahoku Shimpo 2013/08/30
http://www.kahoku.co.jp/news/2013/08/20130830t12042.htm