The joint venture between Kyocera Corporation and Century Tokyo Leasing to develop a floating mega-solar power plant in Japan was completed this week, with Kyocera announcing that it had inaugurated the project.
Located in Hyogo Prefecture in Japan, the 1.7 MW installation at Nishihira Pond and the 1.2 MW installation at Higashihira Pond were built using 11,256 Kyocera modules affixed to specially developed floating platforms attached to the lakebeds.
The generated annual power output of the project is 3,300 MWh/year, and electricity generated will be sold to Kansai Electric Power Co., the local utility, via Japans attractive FIT scheme.
According to Kyocera, the 255-watt modules will be aided in their power production via the cooling effect of the water, boosting the systems overall production. The platforms reduce reservoir water evaporation and algae growth, and are 100% recyclable, constructed using a high-density polyethylene that can withstand the harsh effects of UV exposure and is resistant to corrosion.
Further, the platforms have been developed to withstand severe weather events such as typhoons, which can regularly afflict parts of Japan at certain times of the year.
Combined, the floating mega-solar power plant is 2.9 MW in size, making it one of the largest solar developments of its type in the world. Infratech is close to completing a 4 MW floating PV project in South Australia, while previous floating success stories have been noted in the U.S., India and Singapore.
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