Kyocera Corporation on May 7 announced that it will supply 9,000 solar modules – a total of 1.7 megawatts (MW) – for the first stage (southeast area) of the Matsuyama solar power plant (Ehime Prefecture, Japan) planned by Shikoku Electric Power Company Inc. with construction by Yonden Engineering Company Inc. Scheduled to go on-line in the spring of 2011, the Matsuyama solar power plant will combine with an existing installation for a total of approximately 2MW and become the largest solar installation on the island of Shikoku, Japan.
Once operational the system will provide 2,200 megawatt-hours of electricity and off-set about 700 tons of CO2 emissions each year.
With a long history in the solar energy business, Kyocera has amassed a wide range of skills in planning and installation technology, and has earned a solid reputation from its customers by providing high-quality, high-performance products in a stable supply. Accordingly, Kyocera boasts the largest market share in Japan of public and industrial solar power installations, and in 2005 Kyocera was one of the first companies in Japan to provide modules for a large-scale installation with a 1.2MW system for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Waterworks. Kyocera modules have also been employed in diverse installations at government offices, public facilities, manufacturing plants, business facilities, schools and many other locations in the country. Furthermore, up through the end of 2009, Kyocera has supplied more than 50MW of modules for three large-scale power plants in Spain.
Presently, governmental subsidies and a feed-in-tariff system are increasing demand for residential-use solar power generating systems in Japan. Moreover, public utility companies across the country are planning to build approximately 30 large-scale solar power plants for a total of roughly 140MW by 2020.
Kyocera first started research and development of solar energy technology in 1975, and has continued on from that point in the pursuit of thoroughly enhancing quality. Following the trend for public and industrial solar installations, Kyocera hopes to apply its many years of experience and know-how in the solar industry to supply high-performance modules that can help to contribute to the prevention of global warming.