Solar Power Systems Make Debut in Kyoto Project

The Kyoto Prefectural Government in Japan has completed two photovoltaic (PV) power systems as the first facilities built under the Kyoto Eco-Energy Project, a joint effort with the Kyotango City government and private companies.

One of the solar panel systems was installed in Tango Ajiwai No Sato, an interactive agricultural park located in Kyotango City, and the other on the rooftop of the wastewater treatment facilities for the agricultural community in Mizotani-Yoshino district. The former system, with a generation capacity of 30 kilowatts, was built near the entrance of a tower observatory named Tango Okoku Tower, and is expected to supply electricity to the tower itself and the park's attractions, including the insectarium. The latter system, with a generating capacity of 20 kilowatts, can supply about 10 percent of the facility's power consumption. Both systems have panels that display power generation data, which are useful for environmental education.

A major part of the Kyoto project involves finding ways to cope with the unstable electrical supply from renewable energy sources (wind and solar), which are vulnerable to changing weather conditions. It therefore attempts to build a stable power supply control system by combining the renewable energy sources with "new" energy sources (biomass and fuel cells). The project aims to find the best combination of these sources as well as good control technologies, by testing the technologies.

The budget for this research project, commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), is about four billion yen (about U.S.$ 38.5 million) over five years (FY2003-2007). Kyoto Prefecture started building other new energy facilities in fiscal 2004, and by connecting them together through a network, will launch a full-scale feasibility study in 2005.


http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/intro/21cent/kankyo/index_e.html

Posted: 2004/07/27 12:13:38 PM
Japanese version