Shiga Prefecture Residents Asked to Invest in Solar Power Facility

The Omi Environmental Conservation Foundation, a government affiliated organization in Shiga Prefecture, will use money invested by residents of the prefecture to fund part of the costs for a solar power generator it plans to install at a local school. The facility is expected to cost approximately 13 million yen (about U.S.$117,000) in total, of which the organization is seeking a total of 1 million yen ($9,000) from 100 investors, in increments of 10,000 yen ($90) each. In a unique way of returning the investment, the organization will give each investor a voucher for 2,000 yen ($18.02) worth of vegetables produced in the prefecture each year for a period of 5 years.

The 10-kilowatt solar power facility (roughly the power used by 2.5 family residential homes) will be installed on the rooftop of Yasu High School in the town of Yasu, and cover part of the school's power needs once it starts generating electricity in 2004. The money the school saves on its energy bills will be used to provide the produce vouchers to the investors.

Shiga Prefecture, which is adjacent to Kyoto as well as being home to Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, has long prided itself in its scenic beauty. But as the country modernized, the prefecture has struggled with a deteriorating environment, and in recent years its residents have become quite active in initiatives aiming to protect the environment. The solar power facility on top of Yasu High School will be in plain view to passengers on the high-speed Bullet train to and from Kyoto. The Omi Environmental Conservation Foundation expects this will also to help draw attention to Shiga residents' commitment to environmental protection.




Posted: 2004/02/02 09:02:06 AM
Japanese version